Brotherly Love
by Mersang
Summary: Sequal to 'Time Travel Trouble.' ABANDONED! BEING REWORKED AS A BETTER THOUGHT-OUT STORY.
1. Father Son Bonding

**Author's Note:** Well, here it is. The sequel to Time Travel Trouble. If you haven't read that, then read it now, otherwise this won't make any sense to you. The story may take a while to get established, but no worries—a plot is involved.

Mob: AND WE'RE STILL HERE! SHE CAN'T GET RID OF _US_ JUST BY STARTING A NEW STORY!

Me: Much as I wish it were so… The Mob's been threatening to extract the story from me through torture if I didn't start typing soon. I have TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS for Time Travel Trouble! I'm so happy.

Mob: WE HAVE DECIDED TO NAME TAYK AND ANGRY DRAGON AS OUR LEADERS IN THE SPORT OF TORMENTING MERSANG INTO WRITING MORE!

Me: Yes, yes, very nice. (Pause.) YOU WHAT?

Mob: WE HAVE DECIDED TO NAME TAYK AND ANGRY DRAGON AS OUR LEADERS IN THE SPORT OF TORMENTING MERSANG INTO WRITING MORE!

Me: I'd better get on with it, then. WARNING: This first chapter isn't really part of the story. It's just something that I typed to get the ball rolling and this idea out of my head before I forget it. (SAP! PURE SAP!) I'll try to make chapters longer in this story than they were last time.

**Disclaimer**: Let's be logical—if I owned the Animorphs, what would I do? A) Write on a website, not be paid a cent, and get hate mail from people who hated 'The Beginning'? B) Write this in the actual books, earn a lot of money, and get fan mail? Answer: Duh, B!

**Chapter One: Father-Son Bonding**

_Tobias' POV_

It had been about a week since Ellimist had returned us to our proper time. Not much had happened. Jake and Tom hung out a bit more often then they had before. Ax and Elfangor caught up on each others recent lives. I felt left out.

The sun had set a few hours ago, and it was cold that night. I puffed up my feathers and tucked my head in beneath my wing. Still, I was cold.

Maybe flying would warm me up. It was a stupid idea, I know, but I stretched my wings and took off anyway. I found myself headed for the scoop where Ax, and now Elfangor, lived.

Ax was asleep, though he had one stalk eye half-open. Always watchful, even when he was relaxed.

Elfangor was awake. He was watching the sky, like he was expecting me. I landed in a tree beside him. Somehow, I did feel warmer.

(Hello, Tobias,) he greeted me.

(Hi.) I was unsure where to go from there. We both knew about Elfangor being my father, but we had never actually discussed it. I hadn't seen Loren—my mother—since the day after Ellimist had brought us back to the present. I wasn't certain about how to address either of them. By their name's? As Mother and Father? Mom and Dad?

Elfangor sighed. (I'm sorry,) he whispered. I jumped.

(Sorry for what?)

(For leaving. For missing out on you childhood. For everything.)

(Did you want to?)

(NO! Of course I didn't.)

(Then there's nothing to apologize for.) Where was this stuff coming from? I sounded like someone from a soap opera! A soap opera so cheesy you could make a hundred pizzas with it.

(I still feel guilty about it. Also…) now Elfangor looked awkward. (I feel that I ought to have paid more attention to you this past week.)

_Yes, you should have,_ I thought silently. Out loud I said: (It's okay. I'm used to being on my own.)

(You shouldn't be.)

(Shouldn't be what? Alone? Or used to it?)

(Either one.) Oh, yeah. We _both_ sounded like we were in a cheesy soap opera.

_Elfangor's POV_

(Well, Tobias, for what little it's worth, I am sorry.)

(It's okay. Really.) Tobias was so forgiving it hurt. I had abandoned him, and he was acting like it didn't matter. It would almost have been easier if he'd yelled at me, swore he'd never forgive me, even hit me. I would have deserved that. I didn't want him to forgive me just like that, I wanted to _earn_ my son's forgiveness.

Maybe he just wanted to drop the subject. (The starlight is beautiful, isn't it?) I asked.

(Yeah. That's one of the few things hawk eyes are good for at night.)

(That is what humans call the Big Dipper, correct?) I pointed to what I thought was the constellation. Tobias laughed.

(No, that's Orion. The Big Dipper is over there.) He gestured with his wing in the opposite direction. (How did you manage to mix those two up? They look nothing like each other!)

(Loren always did say I was horrible with constellations. Star maps are so much more readable.) I meant to say this to myself, but as Tobias laughed again I assume that I said it out loud. (Well, at least someone thinks it's funny!)

Evidently Tobias thought I was being sarcastic, because he stopped laughing. (I didn't mean to upset you,) he said quickly.

(You didn't. I meant that sincerely.) I got the impression that Tobias sighed with relief. What had he been through, that made him afraid to laugh?

(Something's been bugging me this past week,) My son commented.

(Is it something I can help with?)

(Yes actually. Um…) There was a pause, and then: (What should I call you?)

(Pardon?) I wasn't sure I understood him.

(Well… would you prefer me to call you by your name, or…) Tobias seemed wary about saying his next words. (Maybe 'Dad'?)

I blinked. (What ever you feel most comfortable with is okay, I guess. Unless I'm using my morph of a human teenager—then call me Al.)

(Okay. Thanks.) That was it? That was the only thing troubling him? _Lucky,_ I thought, almost jealously.

(Well, if anything else is troubling you, or you just want to talk, you can come to me, alright?) I told him, fully aware of how sentimental I was being.

(Okay. Goodnight, Dad.) Tobias fluffed up his feathers and stuck his head under his wing.

I wondered if he'd ever know how much that last word meant to me.

**Author's Note**: Sap and cheese do not mix well. That said—

Mob: YOU SAID THAT CHAPTERS IN THIS STORY WOULD BE LONGER THAN THEY WERE IN THE LAST ONE! MEAN DRAGON, TAYK, LEAD US IN OUR ATTACK!

Me: THAT SAID, this isn't as much a chapter as a prologue. Only 762 words! (Not counting title, A/Ns, or the POV notices. That's 1185 words.)

I'm thinking that Tobias is going to have jealousy issues about Ax and Elfangor being so close, but feel guilty because he's so jealous. Poor guy. I think it's realistic, but still, what possessed me to do this to him? Oh, and Pete and Esi are both going to feature later on. I'm hoping to get their perspectives on a few things.

By the way **(to everyone)** I don't think that the ending in my last story was as bad as The Beginning. _I _promised a sequel. REMEMBER THAT!


	2. Ax the Amnesiac

**Author's Note**: I've got reviews already! This chapter's longer than the last one. (I need help with the genre and the rating!) Ricky shows up in this chapter. (See Time Travel Trouble to learn who he is.) Spelling and grammar errors in Ricky's speech are deliberate.

Mob: HURRAY! A NEW CHAPTER!

Disclaimer: As you probably already know, I only own three characters, one of whom is dead.

**Chapter Two: Ax the Amnesiac**

Aximili's POV 

I awoke a few Earth minutes before dawn. My brother was sleeping a short distance away. Tobias was perched on a branch nearby. When had he gotten here?

I left the scoop as quietly as possible. Elfangor never slept well—I didn't want to wake him up.

As I reached the stream, one of the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. Birds began singing. I felt a tingle of warmth on my face, sharply contrasting the nightly cold.

I was not alone at the stream. A two fawns were sipping the water while their mother stood watch. I kept my distance, and they didn't react to my approach. Earth had many fascinating creatures, and I enjoyed watching the deer. They were grazing quadrupeds, like myself.

One of the fawns approached me. I reached out and touched it. Its fur wasn't as soft as an Andalite's. It relaxed as I acquired it. Such a morph might come in useful at some point.

A twig snapped. The doe ran for the trees, white tail raised like a flag. Her fawns followed her. I began to morph the fawn that I had acquired. If it was a human, or worse, a Controller, I could not risk being caught in my natural state.

I shrank a bit. My fur tanned, as though I was aging rapidly. (Andalite fur tans as the Andalite ages.) My stalk eyes withered into my head and my main eyes separated to opposite sides of my face. As had happened every other time I had morphed, I grew a mouth. My senses of smell and hearing became more acute. I lost my ability to eat through my hooves.

My tail was the last thing to disappear. It also tanned, though part of it turned white instead. The blade dulled, withdrawing into the tail itself. Then, my tail shrank to a fraction of its normal length. I was fully deer.

"Nice one. I almost missed it, just barely saw the tail change." At the sound of a human voice, I bolted. "HEY, easy! I'm not gonna hurt you!"

I ran for ten Earth minutes, with the human chasing me the whole time. After said ten minutes, I managed to get control of the deer's instincts. (Ricky? What are you doing here?)

"Looking for you." Ricky rolled his eyes. "I need your help."

I began to demorph. (With what? How could I help you?)

"You're an okay pilot, right?"

I scuffed one of my front hooves in the grass. (I'm not as good as Elfangor, but I'm alright.)

Of course I wasn't as good as Elfangor! Elfangor was the best!

"Wanna help me steal a Bug?"

(Excuse me?)

"A Bug fighter. I'm gonna steal one. Wanna help?"

(Why?)

"'Cause Eftlak can't, and Esp said no. I need a co-pilot."

(I see. Why do you _want_ to steal a Bug fighter?)

Ricky looked at me like I was dense. "So the Empire can't use it, we can, and it makes Esi look bad to lose a Bug."

Well, I couldn't think of a good reason not to… (Maybe I should talk to Elfangor about this.)

"No time. Bugs're only vulnerable this morning. We got three hours, and I got a plan. You morph Hork-Bajir. I fake like some sub-visser and you play bodyguard. We say we're on Visser Three's order to take that Bug for a spin, they let us, and we're outta there!"

(Are you certain that will work?)

"No."

I debated for a while. We could both be killed. However, I couldn't let Ricky go alone.

(Alright. I'll help.)

Ricky's POV 

(Ricky, are you _certain_ that this is a good idea?) This Andalite was getting on my nerves. No, wait… that was Eftlak.

(No. But it could work. That would be a blow to the Empire. A small blow, but a blow.) We approached the Hork-Bajir guarding the Bugs.

"Name?" the bigger Hork-Bajir grunted.

"Sub-visser ninety-one. I'm under orders from Visser Three to take this Bug fighter for a brief flight." I had rehearsed this. The sub-visser's host did look a bit like me.

Both Hork-Bajir quickly stood at attention. Ax and I were allowed to board the fighter.

(I'm surprised they believed us.) Ax went to the controls and started the fighter up. I headed towards the weapons. Ax followed me with a widened stalk-eye. (You aren't planning to shoot anyone?)

"Nah, just if we're attacked. Need to make sure these work."

A few minutes later, we were in space. I insisted that we check how the ship handled in Z-space. When we popped out—

(There's an Andalite ship right in front of us!)

"I can see that!" I charged at the weapons and whacked Ax and a button by mistake. The airlock opened and Ax was sucked into it.

I slammed the button again and the airlock closed. Then I dodged a Shredder beam that the Andalite fighter sent at me. I tried to open the inner door of the airlock, and then saw Ax floating in vacuum.

"Aw, crap. Elfangor's gonna kill me."

The Andalite ship moved in. They were using a tractor beam to draw Ax to their own airlock. Another Shredder beam came at me. I received a brief, contemptuous message from the Andalite ship.

(Attention, Yeerk scum. You are at our mercy. Leave now, or we will cease with warning shots and aim to kill.)

This was a bit of a dilemma for me. If I left, I gave up on helping Ax. If I stayed, I'd be killed, and _couldn't_ help Ax.

(Chances are that the Andalites will take care of him.)

(I know, Eftlak, but Elfangor's still gonna kill me.)

Eftlak may have been weaker than the average Yeerk, as far as controlling a host went, but he could still exert limited control of me if he tried. It just hurt him a lot. He used this limited control to make us retreat.

(Elfangor, we can convince to change his mind.)

_Raolef-Sonibor-Sirinial's POV (Andalite doctor)_

(Doctor Raolef!)

(Yes, _aristh_?)

(I was sent to tell you that an Andalite's been found floating in the vacuum of space and is being placed in your care until he can be identified and returned to his family.) The _aristh_ gasped for breath. (He'll be here in a few minutes.)

(Very well. You may go, _aristh_.)

(Thank you, doctor.) The _aristh_ left. I waited for my patient to arrive.

In due course he did. I preformed a few basic tests and reached the following conclusions: he had suffered a blow to the head, which may have resulted in the loss of consciousness, and had not been in the vacuum of space long enough to sustain any damage I could detect while he was unconscious.

A blood test identified him as Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, brother of the famous Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, and son of Noorlin-Sirinial-Cooraf and Forlay-Esgarrouth-Maheen. He had been missing on a planet called Earth, presumed dead, for several months.

I immediately sent a report of what had happened to a hospital on the Andalite home world. They would inform Aximili's family that he had been found. I then went to revive Aximili. He would be quite excited to learn that he was going home, or so I thought.

I administered an injection of adrenaline. Aximili woke before I had finished.

(Who are you?) I nearly dropped the needle. Aximili continued as harshly as one speaking to a Yeerk. (Where are we? What are you injecting me with?)

(Calm down, Aximili.) Perhaps an adrenaline injection was not the best means of reviving him. (I am trying to help you.)

(Who's Aximili?) He turned his stalk-eyes as though expecting to see someone else in the room.

(You are.) Oh, no. The vacuum must have damaged his mind.

(I think you've got me mixed up with someone else. I'm Ax.)

(I am Doctor Raolef.)

(Nice to meet you.)

(You as well… _Ax_. Would you please answer a few questions for me?)

(That depends on the questions.)

(Well, for example, what can you tell me about your parents?)

(Nothing.)

(Why not?)

(I can't remember them.)

(Their names are Noorlin-Sirinial-Cooraf and Forlay-Esgarrouth-Maheen. Do those names mean anything to you?)

(_Sirinial_,) he spat. (That's the middle name of the traitor.)

(What traitor?)

(Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul.) Aximili's tail twitched violently.

(I think you are confused Aximili—Ax,) I corrected myself hastily. (Elfangor is a hero. And your brother.)

Aximili nearly fell off the examination table as he swung his tail at my throat. (IS IT NOT DISGRACEFUL ENOUGH THAT THE TRAITOR AND I ARE THE SAME SPECIES? I HAVE _NOTHING_ IN COMMON WITH HIM, THERE IS NO CHANCE WE SHARE BLOOD!)

I decided that the best course of action would be to drop the subject. (Alright, my mistake. There is no need to attack me.) Aximili calmed abruptly.

(I didn't intend to hurt you. It's just… that filthy traitor…) His voice remained harsh, but his tail wasn't twitching anymore.

I felt a burst of morbid curiosity. (Just what did he do that was so horrible?)

(He abandoned his family. He attacked people, twisted their genetics to create monsters.) Aximili shuddered, then a vindictive smile flitted into his eyes. (Esp killed him, saved my life. Esp's a hero.)

(I'm afraid that I don't know this 'Esp'.)

(You wouldn't. He likes to keep inconspicuous.) Aximili promptly began ignoring me.

I went back to my computer to upload these recent developments. Perhaps I had been to quick to try to inform Aximili's parents he would be returning home. His body was returning, but his mind could well be lost forever.

Author's Note: Still kind of cliché. Ax's memories are messed up, so his memories of Elfangor and Visser Three are mixed together. He mixed up Esp and Esi in thinking that Esp killed Elfangor, when Esi's the one who's trying to do that. 

I now own FOUR characters! Amy (who died, _sob!_) Ricky, (whom you've met,) Eftlak, (Ricky's Yeerk,) and Raolef-Sonibor-Sirinial, the Andalite doctor.

Raolef-Sonibor-Sirinial is pronounced Rah-O-lef Saw-NEE-bore Sir-IN-ee-ul

Mob: WE STILL THINK THAT YOUR CHAPTERS ARE TOO SHORT!

Me: You always think that my chapters are too short.

Mob: MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE!

Me: Next chapter preview!

Elfangor finds out about Ax and Ricky's little 'joyride' and goes ballistic. Tobias starts having jealousy issues because he feels that, whatever happens, Ax will come first to Elfangor and he's met his father for nothing.

Noorlin and Forlay hear about Ax coming home. They go to the spaceport to meet him, but are told to go to the hospital instead. Ax and Noorlin (his father) get into a fight because Ax refuses to respond to Aximili, acts like his parents are total strangers, (which, to Ax, they are,) and insists that Elfangor was a traitor. Doctor Raolef steps in before anyone gets hurt.

Forlay, who was depressed about her children being missing, but cheered up a bit to hear about Ax coming home, gets depressed again because Ax doesn't remember her or his father, and thinks that his brother is evil. End of chapter is kind of depressing.


	3. Andalites Going Berserk

**Author's Note**: I'm back! Again. I'm glad I've made up another original character. I'll try not to kill this one!

Mob: YOU'D BETTER NOT! YOU'RE STILL NOT OFF THE HOOK FOR KILLING AMY!

Me: Which is why I actually planned this story. No more unexpected deaths! Just so you know, all errors in Ricky's speech are deliberate.

Disclaimer: I only own three living characters and one dead character.

**Chapter Three: Andalites Going Berserk**

_Tom's POV_

Jake and I were shooting hoops. Esp was watching from the back of my mind. He liked basketball and all, but I was better at it. Jake had gotten pretty good, too. We were tied at five baskets each when my phone rang. Jake, who had just stolen the ball, pouted as I snatched it, dropped it on the driveway, and stepped on it.

"Elfangor made me swear to answer it whenever it rang, in case it's an emergency," I apologized. I flipped it open. "Yeah?"

"Esp?" Taylor. What possessed me to give her my number?

"What?"

"The meeting started fifteen minutes ago, where are you?"

"At home, shooting hoops with the midget."

"Midget? What midget?"

"_Jake_."

"Oh, your host's brother… Well, bring him along."

_Yeah. Get him infested while I'm at it._ Esp's thoughts were as plain to me now as mine were to him. "Nah, he never wants to come." Esp lowered my voice. "Listen, Taylor, get me off the hook this once, okay? I've got a plan, I'll explain later." A lie, of course. Esp hung up.

"What was that about?" Jake was still sulky about my taking the basket ball.

"I'm missing a Sharing meeting." I picked up the ball and bounce-passed it over to him.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Because spending time with you is more important to me than a stupid meeting."

"It didn't used to be." Jake executed a perfect jump shot.

"No, it just seemed that way. I'm undercover, remember?" I caught the ball and began dribbling back towards the net. "Anyway, I've made up an ulterior motive excuse." Ah, so Esp _hadn't_ been lying.

"Really? What might that be?"

"I say that you think the Sharing's pulling us apart, so I cleverly set aside time I _could_ be at the Sharing to spend time with you. We get closer, I have more influence over you, and I can recruit you to join the Sharing more easily. Or at least that's what I tell _them_."

"Smart move." Jake stole the ball from me again. He was really good at that. "And of course, if it gets me into the Sharing, they'll actually encourage you." I stole the ball back, fumbled it, and it rolled onto the grass. While we retrieved it, Jake added: "Still, don't miss to many meetings. You can get information there that we can't."

"Yeah, yeah. You got it, bro."

(Hey, Jake! Tom! Esp!) a red-tailed hawk circled above us. (Meet in the woods, at the scoop, quick. Ricky's there, he seems upset, but he won't say what's wrong.)

Jake flashed a thumbs-up, as though to me. Tobias must have caught it, because he left. I went into the garage to grab my bike. To bad I couldn't fly.

"You go falcon, midget. Elfangor told me where the scoop was."

_Tobias' POV_

Tom arrived at the scoop five minutes after everyone else, panting. Ax was missing.

"This is kinda hard to explain. Ya see, I had this plan to steal a Bug, but I needed a co-pilot. Esp said no, and Elfangor was asleep when I got out here, so Ax agreed. We stole the Bug, popped inta Z-space to make sure that stuff worked, popped out in front of an Andalite ship, and they tried to shoot us. I whacked Ax—_by accident—_and the airlock open. He got suck out, the Andalites got him onta their ship, and told me scram or die. I figured they'd prob'ly help Ax, or try at least, so Eftlak suggested we scram."

(_You left my brother?_)

"Listen, Elfangor, I like the guy, but I'm a coward at heart. 'F I stayed, I'd die, an' that's not real high on my priority list. 'Sides, they'd take care of him. Maybe hold him a while, make sure he's not infested, but they'll prob'ly do a blood test or somethin', find out who he is, an' send 'im home."

(I can't _believe_ you! You dragged my brother off on a mission you _knew _was dangerous, and you _left him_?) My father swung his tail at Ricky. Ricky didn't even try to dodge. He was flung against a tree.

"I know you're ticked off, Elfangor. I don't blame you." Ricky's face was wet—he was crying. "'F someone were crazy 'nuff to do that to Amy, I'd rip their throat out." He bared his throat, ready for the blade. "M'one defense is I'm a worthless coward." Elfangor lowered his tail.

(I'll deal with you once Aximili is safe.)

_Yes, it's always about Ax, isn't it?_ He'd gotten sick right after I found out Elfangor was my father. Now he'd disappeared, right when I was coming close to having a father-son relationship with Elfangor. Was he trying to keep us separated or something?

That must have been it. Ax didn't want to share Elfangor. It was a bit like sibling rivalry, except that the generations were messed up. What was the point in knowing my father if Ax was always hogging the spotlight? I thought Ax and I were supposed to be _friends_.

_Noorlin-Sirinial-Cooraf's POV_

A message appeared on the computer I was working on. It was labeled Priority Two. Important, but not important enough to demand immediate attention. I opened it anyway.

(FORLAY!) I shouted. My wife was outside, grazing.

(What is it, Noorlin?) She looked apprehensive. The last time I had called to her like that, I had told her about Elfangor's death. Of course, I had thought she would recognize my current excitement as an indication of something positive.

(Aximili's been found! He'll be home in a few hours.)

For the first time in a long while, Forlay smiled. (That's wonderful! Which spaceport?)

(The message says spaceport three. If we leave now, we can be there when the ship docks.) Of course, once I said that I had to run to keep up with her. Forlay rarely ran at full speed, but today was different. I was impressed that she didn't break the sound barrier.

Once we got to the spaceport (Forlay had slowed down after the first hour, so that I could keep up) we were stopped by a guard. We told him we were meeting our son. We gave him our names and a copy of the message, and he told us to go to the hospital instead. Forlay panicked.

(Why is he in the hospital? Is he sick? Is he _injured_? Was he in a fight? What happened? How serious is it? He—he will live, won't he?)

(Doctor Raolef-Sonibor-Sirinial will meet you at the hospital and explain. I'm sorry, but that's all I know.)

I had to prevent Forlay from attacking several doctors who told that they were not Doctor Raolef and didn't know anything about what had happened to our son before the real Doctor Raolef appeared.

(Noorlin-Sirinial-Cooraf and Forlay-Esgarrouth-Maheen?)

(Doctor Raolef?) Forlay's tail twitched, ready to swing if this doctor also said no.

(Yes. I am sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but your son Aximili has apparently sustained mental damage.)

I trembled. (What kind of mental damage?)

Doctor Raolef sighed. (He does not remember either of you. He doesn't recall his full name, insisting on being called 'Ax'. He also seems convinced that his brother Elfangor is a traitor.)

(How could this have happened?) Forlay was no longer twitching with anticipation. She seemed lost.

(He seems to have received a minor blow to the head, and was in the vacuum of space for several minutes before we were able to get him on board the ship.)

(Where is he now?) I had to see him. I had to confirm this for myself.

(Follow me.) Doctor Raolef led us to a sealed room. Forlay, who had drawn closer to me as we walked, began trembling. Sealed rooms were only used when someone was ill with an extremely contagious malady, such as _yamphut_, or when someone was dangerously insane.

The doctor punched a code into the keypad. The door slid open. (He's actually not dangerous, we just couldn't let him wander around the spaceport.)

Forlay and I rushed into the room. Our youngest son was standing in one of the far corners, waving at a security camera opposite him. (Hello,) he said pleasantly, noticing us. (Who are you?)

Forlay, now pressed up against my side, almost collapsed. (Aximili, don't you recognize us? We're your parents.)

Aximili looked around, as though searching for someone else. Then he turned his stalk-eye to Doctor Raolef, who was standing in the doorway. (Were you addressing me? Doctor Raolef told me my name was Aximili. I think there's been a mistake. My name is Ax.)

My wife focused all four of her beautiful eyes towards the ground. (So… it's true then. You really don't remember us.)

(I'm very sorry, but I believe that this is a mere case of mistaken identity. Perhaps I simply resemble your son enough to confuse you.)

(No,) said Doctor Raolef. (I preformed a blood test while you were unconscious. Either you are Aximili, or you are trapped in a morph of him.)

(Why would I trap myself in morph of someone?)

(Most likely you wouldn't. Perhaps _that_ was a mistake.)

(Why would I _want_ to morph someone everyone seems convinced is related to the traitor?)

I couldn't remain silent about this. (ELFANGOR WAS NOT A TRAITOR!) Forlay recoiled. Aximili glared. Doctor Raolef closed his eyes in exasperation.

(I am afraid he was… Noorlin, was it?) My son's voice was a frightening calm. (You may choose not to believe it. Use the human method—shut your eyes to the truth, convince yourself I'm lying. Even attempt to discredit me, to keep others from seeing the truth. It will not change the facts.)

(Perhaps you ought to go,) Doctor Raolef suggested, glancing at Aximili's twitching tail.

I turned towards the door. (Come, Forlay. We are leaving.)

_Forlay-Esgarrouth-Maheen's POV_

How could this have happened? Aximili had adored his brother. This brain damage must have been serious. Poor Aximili. He couldn't even remember his own name.

(Are you alright, Forlay?)

(No. Our son doesn't remember us! How could I possibly be alright?)

I looked sadly at a small hologram of our sons. Elfangor was teaching Aximili the basics of tail-fighting. Aximili was looking at his brother with an expression close to worship.

(I should not have shouted. If Aximili has been mentally damaged, he can't be held responsible for what he said.)

(It's not just that… Noorlin, _I want my children back_. I want our family to be the way it was. Elfangor is dead and my precious little one thinks his brother is a traitor! I… I just can't cope with all of this. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up about Aximili coming home.)

Noorlin gently wrapped one arm around my waist. We at always been more at ease touching each other than most Andalites were. (Aximili-kala will be fine, Forlay. We will find a way to help him. I promise.)

I felt a little better. Noorlin never broke a promise. Still, I couldn't allow myself to get overly optimistic. (Don't make promises you cannot keep, my love. I doubt I could stand being disappointed again.)

(You won't be disappointed. I _will_ find a way.)

I wished that I could convince myself so easily.

**Author's Note**: I need help figuring out the genre for this fic! I don't think it's depressing enough for angst, funny enough for humor, and I know that it's not action/adventure! Cheese and sap don't seem to be among the categories available. It's not horror or romance. SO WHAT IS IT?

Mob: THAT'S OUR LINE!

Me: (Blows raspberry) So? I'm the one asking! (Aximili-kala is his father's nickname for him, see book 8. You know, in case someone was wondering.)


	4. What's Wrong?

**Author's Note**: I am really, _really_, REALLY sorry that I didn't get this written sooner. My mom kicked me off the computer because she thought that I was spending too much time on fics and not enough time on homework.

Mob: THIS CHAPTER HAD BETTER BE WORTH IT!

Me: Not the face! NOT THE FACE! (Runs and hides.)

Disclaimer: Do I, or do I not, own the Animorphs? This question is a no-brainer—which is good, because my brain seems to have been misplaced.

**Chapter Four: What's Wrong?**

_Tobias' POV_

Esp pulled out Tom's laptop abruptly. "If it was an Andalite ship that grabbed Ax, chances are high that they've got some kind of file for this sort of thing," he announced, clicking on the blue icon. Tom's hands flew across the keyboard. "Hello, what have we here? This is too easy. Aximili's medical records. Hey, Elfangor, should I put in something about that disease or whatever that Crayak gave him?"

(Does it say where he is?)

"Ease up, Elfangor, being stressed out won't help anything. Hey, it's updating right now! Um… ejected from a Bug fighter… in vacuum for a brief period, not enough to kill him… identified through blood test… blow to the head? _Memory loss?_"

(_WHAT?_)

"Doctor… Raolef, it says the guy's name is… thinks Aximili suffered a blow to the head and possibly a concussion because he can't seem to remember who he is."

Jake leaned over Tom's shoulder. "How can you _read_ that stuff?"

"I learned after my translator program got deleted. What the heck?" More text was appearing on-screen. "Oh, _great_. Now that's just plain _wonderful_."

(Esp, either explain what you are referring to or give _me_ the computer.)

"Aximili's been saying that you're a traitor and I, a figment of his imagination, killed you."

Elfangor slipped his tail blade under the computer and up-ended it. (Do you honestly expect me to believe that?)

"That's what it says. Check it. Unless of course you just _destroyed my computer_."

(Um, I'm lost. What's happened?) I asked.

Tom/Esp sounded rather annoyed. "I just hacked into Aximili's medical record. It says that he's got major memory loss and thinks that Elfangor's a traitor and I killed Elfangor. The doctor who found out about this thinks that I'm a figment of Aximili's imagination."

"He thinks Elfangor's a _traitor?_" Jake glanced at Ricky. "Just how hard did you accidentally hit him?"

"Not very. Maybe the guy whammed his head on somethin' in the airlock."

My father did a very accurate impression of an erupting volcano. (My little brother thinks I'm a _traitor?_)

I felt rather guilty right then. I had been jealous of Ax and Elfangor's bond, which was pretty stupid. They were brothers, for crying out loud! Now Ax couldn't remember that? He thought Elfangor was evil? Had I wished him into amnesia or something?

_You're so stupid, Tobias,_ I chided myself. _Ax wasn't trying to keep you and Elfangor apart. It's impossible for you to have made this happen._

Well, I could tell myself that, but I couldn't make myself believe it.

"So where's Ax now?" Jake asked.

"Elfangor? Where's spaceport three?"

(On the Andalite home world.)

"He's on the Andalite home world." Tom bent down and retrieved his computer from the bush that my father had whacked it into. He frowned. "Why is this text clearer than it was before?"

(Maybe the bush cleaned off the screen.) No one laughed at my suggestion.

Marco got up—he'd been sitting on a tree stump. "I'd better go, I'm making dinner."

"We should go, too." Jake looked pointedly at Tom. Cassie and Rachel also left. Ricky glanced at his wrist, yelped and ran, muttering about being late for his shift. He somehow still held down his job at a convenience store, even though he didn't have as much time as he used too. He did his best to help us out, and helping the Animorphs took almost as much time as being one.

(I hope Ax recovers,) I whispered, once my father and I were alone.

(He'll be fine.) Arbron had popped up behind my father again. (I forgot to ask, Elfangor, do you want me to find Loren and tell her about this or do you want to?)

(I'll do it.) Elfangor turned into a duck and took off. Arbron disappeared into his tunnel once again. I was alone. Because of Ax.

_Loren's POV_

Elfangor flew into my trailer in duck morph. He was demorphing as he swooped through the open window and landed on the floor.

"What's wrong, Elfangor?"

Fully Andalite, my husband pulled me into a hug. Had he been human, he would have been sobbing—I could tell from the way he trembled. (Aximili doesn't remember me. Ricky dragged him off on a suicidal plan to steal a Bug fighter, and something went wrong. Aximili was ejected, and an Andalite ship found and revived him. Esp hacked into their files—Aximili's on the Andalite home world right now and telling everyone who will listen that I'm a traitor.) He began morphing human. My shoulder was soon damp with his tears.

"Shhhh. It's okay," I said, as soothingly as I could. "It's okay. Don't worry. Your brother will be fine."

"But what if he's not?" Elfangor pulled away. "What if he never remembers me?"

"He will. I'm sure of it."

Elfangor hugged me again. "Thanks, Loren."

"How's Tobias taking it?" I knew that my son and brother-in-law were close. Elfangor stiffened. I scowled. "You didn't think to figure out how he felt, did you?"

"I… I was so worried about Aximili… no, I didn't think about how Tobias would feel."

"Oh, boy." I shook my head. "Darling, I'm starting to think that you and I were _not_ meant to be parents. We need to stop setting Tobias aside. He's been through enough."

"I should go." Elfangor began to change back to Andalite.

"Wait, I'll go too. I feel a bit guilty about not being around." I snatched my jacket and my keys to lock the trailer.

(Follow me.) Elfangor took off and I went in his direction. I had to wander a bit, and stay a good distance behind him, so that it would be hard to realize that I was following a duck. Once we were in the woods near the trailer park it was easier. I was going off course to avoid trees, and I had a hard time _seeing_ Elfangor.

After an hour of walking, when I was about ready to collapse, we reached the scoop. Elfangor landed and demorphed once again.

(Dad? Mom?)

(Hello, Tobias. Listen, are you… alright?)

(What do you mean?)

(You were very close to Aximili. His disappearance is hard to deal with. Your mother and I were worried about how you were taking it.)

"You may not _want_ to talk about it, Tobias, but I speak from experience when I say that it will make you feel better."

(IS THERE _ANYTHING_ IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT _DOESN'T_ REVOLVE AROUND AX?)

"Tobias!" I admonished.

(Ax this, Ax that, everything's about Ax! I'm sick and tired of it! Ax gets sick, Ax nearly shoots himself, Ax disappears, Ax gets amnesia! Can't we talk about something _other_ than _Ax?_) Tobias abruptly took off. I considered calling him back, but he was so angry I thought it would do more harm than good.

(That was my fault, I believe. I've been spending a lot of time with Aximili this past week.)

"And now Tobias has a nasty case of sibling rivalry. Perfect. What else could go wrong?"

_Forlay's POV_

I didn't sleep much that night. I kept thinking about Aximili. My poor baby. There had to be some way to help him.

The next day, Noorlin and I received a message from Doctor Raolef. He requested that we meet him at the hospital. Noorlin responded with an affirmative.

(I have an idea for helping Aximili,) he explained, once we had arrived. (My daughter, Keritus, is about Aximili's age and studying psychology. She suggested that it might be best to let him believe as he does, and tell someone else about his memories. If we can find out where the most significant differences are, we can isolate what needs to be corrected.)

(That sounds rather complicated.)

(The mind is a very complex thing, Noorlin. Not even we Andalites fully understand it.)

(How do we find someone who is willing to listen to Aximili's garbled explanations of events that didn't even happen?)

(There is no need. Keritus has already volunteered, on the grounds that Aximili would be more comfortable with someone near his own age.)

(We can't ask your daughter to risk her safety that way,) I objected.

(There is no risk involved. I assure you, my daughter is a decent tail fighter, should it come to that. I don't believe that it will—Aximili only becomes violent upon suggestions that he and Elfangor are related.)

Noorlin and I glanced at each other, hesitant to agree. (I suppose it couldn't hurt…) said Noorlin.

_Keritus-Sonibor-Nrocinu's POV_

(Who are you?)

(My name is Keritus.)

(I'm Ax.)

(Nice to meet you.)

(You as well. I like having visitors.)

(I thought you didn't. Your last visits with people didn't go to well.)

(I just don't like people saying I'm related to the traitor.)

(What did he do?)

(He abandoned his family, tortured people by twisting their genetics, murdered more than once… He was trying to kill me when Esp killed him.)

(Who's Esp?)

(My friend.)

(What species is he?)

(Human, I think. I can't really remember.)

(What can you remember?)

(The traitor. The people he tortured. Esp on a computer… could I use a computer, please? Maybe I could send Esp a message.)

(I'm not sure if that's a good idea.)

(Why not?)

(You might mess up something important by accident. The doctors wouldn't want to risk it.)

(I don't like doctors.)

_Good thing that I didn't tell you I'm training to be a doctor, then,_ I thought to myself. Over the next hour, I let Ax dictate the direction of conversation for the most part—it was easier than trying to force him to talk about something. I would occasionally prod him towards a specific subject. He seemed nice—just confusing. He assumed that I knew all about Elfangor and Esp. He never used Elfangor's name, instead calling him 'the traitor.' He seemed to bestow upon Esp the sort of hero-worship his mother had told me he had felt towards Elfangor. I didn't manage to learn anything more about Esp, though. 'Esp' was a hero, the one who had killed 'the traitor,' and brilliant with computers, all of which had been stated or implied in the first minute of conversation.

(I need to leave now, Ax,) I said finally. (I'll try to come back tomorrow.)

(I'll see you then!) Ax waved at me as I left the sealed room. Father had decided to leave Ax in there for the time being.

After I left, I headed for the nearest computer terminal. I recorded what I had observed of Ax's emotional state (stable, unless made to speak about Elfangor, generally cheerful), Ax's use of language (very casual), and his implied desire to use a computer to contact Esp. I added a note that I wasn't completely sure if Esp was a real person, or a figment of Ax's imagination, but most likely was a real person altered by Ax's memory loss. A recording was being made of our encounter, in case I missed something, or Ax became aggressive during the encounter.

(Well, how did it go?) my father asked. He was to update Ax's parents on their son's progress.

(Alright. Ax seems very willing to talk if he gets to choose the subject.)

(Keritus, you aren't speaking to him right now. You can call him Aximili.)

(I know that, Father. I just feel more comfortable calling him what he calls himself. It's confusing to call him by two different names. I suppose, once he's more willing to accept it, we can tell him that Ax is an abbreviation of Aximili.)

(How is it that no one thought to tell him that already?) Father asked.

(Perhaps because no one thought about Ax being the first syllable of Aximili. It so simple, it could easily be overlooked.)

(True. We _did_ overlook it,) Father agreed. (If you'll excuse me, Keritus, I need to speak with Aximili's parents. Actually, perhaps _you_ ought to speak with them. You know… 'Ax'… better than anyone else does.)

(I suppose so.) This was not the easiest notion to deal with. No one should know a person better than their parents, unless the person was married. No one knew me better than my parents. Yet I knew Ax better than anyone else… and I barely knew him at all.

**Author's Note**: Thanks for helping me figure out the genre, people! I'm having another mental debate: should I or shouldn't I have Ax and Keritus fall in love? I've got pretty much everything planned except for this.

Tobias is having mood swings or something. Half the time he's mad at Ax, half the time he's upset with himself. He's going through the teenage moody phase a bit late, has just found his parents, and now feels pushed to one side. Rather traumatic, when one thinks about it.

Keritus-Sonibor-Nrocinu is pronounced Ker-EE-tuss Saw-NEE-bore Nraw-KEE-new.

Mob: WE'RE STILL ANGRY!

Me: Are you ever not?

Mob: NO!

Me: THEN SHUT UP!

Mob: WE DON'T WANT TO!


	5. Emotions Are So Complicated

**Author's Note**: I'm back, and I have hired bodyguards to protect me from the Mob. 

Bodyguard 1: So, when do we get paid?

Me: Here, I'll write you a check.

Mob: FORGET THE CHECK, WRITE THE STORY!

Bodyguard 2: I only take cash.

Me: I don't have cash on me.

Bodyguard 2 (to Bodyguard 1): I don't like this kid. (To Mob) What do you guys pay?

Mob: WE DON'T! WE JUST TORMENT PEOPLE!

Bodyguard 1: I like tormenting people! Can I work for you?

Me: Now wait just one second…

Mob: SURE, COME ON OVER!

Bodyguard 2: No cash, no dice.

Bodyguard 1: Let's go be Dragon's bodyguards instead!

Me: NO! Come back!

Mob and Bodyguards: WRITE THE STORY! WRITE THE STORY!

Errors in Ricky and Pete's speech are deliberate.

Disclaimer: _(Dramatic sobs)_ I _(gasp)_ don't own the Animorphs! _(Whimpers piteously.)_ I don't _(choke)_ even have _(sniffle)_ bodyguards _(nose blowing)_ anymore…

**Chapter Five: Emotions Are So Confusing  
**

_Eftlak's POV_

"Thank-you, sir, come again." The store emptied at last. Ricky slumped behind the cash register and closed his eyes. (Why can't anything go right for me?)

(Still upset about Amy, huh?)

(Shut up, Eftlak.)

(I could help, you know. Talk to me, Rick. Let it out. You still haven't accepted your mom's death. If you keep hiding from your feelings you never will.)

(Shut up!)

(You know what you need? Therapy. _Major_ therapy.)

(I said, SHUT UP!)

(And anger management. Yelling at me won't solve anything, buddy.)

(Just leave me alone.)

(I'm trying to help you.)

(Well, it's not working!)

(That's because you won't let it work.)

(It's not enough that Mom died. No. It's not enough that Amy was _murdered_ by that Crayak freak! Nuh-uh. I had to go and give another guy's brother amnesia! I just _had_ to play vigilante and try to steal a Bug fighter, didn't I? You were right, Eftlak. Doesn't it feel nice to rub it in? Letting them stay _was_ a bad idea. Going after the stupid Bug _was_ a bad idea. WHY CAN'T I DO ANYTHING RIGHT?)

(So, if what you're saying is true, and I'm always right, then you admit that you _do_ need therapy.)

(SCREW THERAPY!) Ricky went from self-pity, to hating himself, to hating me; finally, he began to sulk. This was generally how our conversations went now. Ricky's life had pretty much revolved around his sister, even though not many people knew he had a sister. Now his life revolved around the war, which he wouldn't have been involved in at all if not for Amy. Concern for Amy had made him join the Sharing. Anger over Amy's death had made him help the Animorphs. He was always thinking about her. He had more or less moved in with Pete so that he wouldn't have to go into his house. As far as I knew, Amy's body was still there.

(Police found her,) Ricky told me numbly. (Pete told me when you weren't paying attention. He said he'd moved her a few blocks east, so I wouldn't get charged for murder. The park. They found her in the tunnel.)

I wished Ricky would just talk about his feelings. Human males seem to prefer pretending not to have emotions, even if they were being figuratively torn apart. As a Yeerk, I could feel Ricky's emotions, but as a cripple, I couldn't really do much about them.

Then again, if I wasn't a cripple, I would have been indifferent. I probably would have had Amy infested. At first, I only got along with my hosts because I had too. I wasn't suicidal. I knew that if anyone found out I couldn't control a host body, I would be killed. Esp was the only other Yeerk who knew, and I had only told him because I knew that he wouldn't tell anyone if I swore him to secrecy.

Even so, I could listen in on Ricky's thoughts without him noticing. He could do the same to me. For the sake of not driving each other crazy, we tended to keep out of each other's minds. I felt the current situation justified a peek into Ricky's thoughts.

He was crying. Ricky had surrounded himself with a wall of anger and defiance, built on his refusal to accept that the only two people he loved were dead. The wall hid the broken, shattered child that he was. It hid him well. Inside it, I could feel more pain than I ever had before, even when I had nearly suffered Kandrona starvation. This pain could not be ended. Unless Ricky got major help—fast—he might never recover.

_Tobias' POV_

I didn't know where I was going when I took off. I didn't really care. I found myself floating over the city. The park where I had found Dude when he was a kitten. The house where my drunken uncle Pete lived. A 7-Eleven.

I spotted five bucks in a pile of junk in an alley. I landed on it, and morphed human. I felt like eating a candy bar just then, so I went into the convenience store.

The guy behind the counter glanced up. It was Ricky. "Can I help you?" I shook my head. He blinked, then grinned. "Hey, Tobias. Almost didn't recognize you."

I picked up a Kit-Kat bar. "Just this, Ricky."

"You got it. That'll be a buck fifty." I gave him the five dollars. "Here's your change. Would you like a bag?"

"No thanks."

"Have a nice day. Come again!"

I sat down at the bus stop a block away and ate the candy bar. How could Ricky be so cheerful? His life was just as messed up as mine right now. Unless it was just an act, to avoid getting fired.

"Tobias?" Oh, great. My uncle.

"What?"

"No need to be rude," he grumbled. He sat down next to me. "Where have you been staying?"

"What's it matter?"

"Well, I know that you haven't been on the streets, because you're still alive, I know you aren't with your aunt, and you're obviously not with me."

"I've been with my dad."

"Um… good. I guess."

"Why do you care?"

"Because I've been trying to quit drinking, which means I actually give a damn about stuff now!"

"Why try to quit?"

"'Cause I'm sick of the stuff, okay?"

I snorted. "That's possible?"

"Yeah. Look, the reason that I'm asking is… you know how your friends hung out at Ricky's place for a while?"

"Yeah."

"Well… once I'm sober, if you need to do that again, you can stay at my place. Oh—do you want your cat back?"

"Can't take him. I'm staying in the woods."

"Okay." Uncle Pete got up.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Could I maybe just, uh, stay with you for a few days? I need to get away from my dad awhile."

"You just met him, and already you've had a fight?"

"Not a fight exactly. I'm just… not sure where we stand. Ax is way more important to my father than I am."

"That's his brother?"

"Yeah."

"Sure. Come on."

Once Uncle Pete opened the door, I was ambushed by my cat. He wrapped around my legs and began purring his little kitty heart out. I began petting him before I was even all the way inside.

"Rick's been staying here, too. Doesn't wanna go back to his place. So you'll hafta share your room—or I could sleep on the couch and one of you could have my room."

"Actually, I won't need a room." I demorphed. (I have to be like this when I'm asleep. Don't ask why, it's a bit complicated.) Dude hissed and ran away.

Uncle Pete shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The place hadn't changed much. The couch still sagged. The TV still looked broken. There were still beer bottles strewn about, although not quite as many as there had been when I last saw it.

One thing had changed. Not something obvious. A feeling… an obscure feeling, at that. I had never felt comfortable here before. Now, somehow, I actually felt like I was home.

_Keritus' POV_

(Hi, Keritus.)

(Hello, Ax.)

(I'm glad you're back.)

(It must be lonely, staying in here all day.)

(I have to. If the doctors let me out, I'd probably hurt one of those idiots who think the traitor was related to me.)

(I spoke to one of the doctors. He said that they might let you use the computer, under supervision.)

(That's good. I hope Esp isn't too worried about me. I remembered what species he is.)

(Really?)

(Yeah, he's a Yeerk. It's his host who's a human.)

I tried not to appear shocked. _Please let Esp just be a fantasy._ Ax's parents weren't going to take this well. I had a rather unnerving thought—what if Ax was really a Controller, and this was all just an act?

He can't be a Controller, he's been locked in here for thirty-two hours and nothing's happened yet. A Yeerk would have tried to escape by now. Besides, none of the scans showed a Yeerk.

(Keritus? Is something wrong?)

(What… oh! No, nothing's wrong! Absolutely nothing whatsoever! Really!)

(You're lying.)

(Well, there is… something… but it's not important.)

(Tell me? Please?)

(I can't. Um… A friend of mine asked me to keep it secret.) I hoped he wouldn't see through that lie.

(I see. Okay. I wouldn't want to be responsible for making you break a promise.)

An hour later, I bid Ax farewell. Once outside, I ran to find my father.

(Keritus? Is something wrong?) he asked, echoing Ax's earlier question.

(Yes—no—I'm not sure… You remember, I assume, Ax mentioning someone named Esp? Ax just told me that Esp is a Yeerk.)

My father flinched. (I take this to mean that he does not remember the war?)

(Apparently not.)

(His parents are going to be furious.)

_Noorlin's POV_

Forlay was pacing again. She always did that when she was worried. I felt like joining her.

Keritus and Doctor Raolef approached us cautiously. It had barely been two days since we had met Doctor Raolef, and less than one since we had met Keritus, yet Forlay had already displayed a formidable temper to both. She wasn't usually this agitated, but she was so worried about Aximili. Her concern for him was manifesting itself rather dangerously.

(_Well?_) Forlay's tail twitched.

(We have good news, and bad news,) said Keritus somberly. (The bad news is that we don't have any good news. The good news is that we don't have any bad news.) She laughed. I believe that this was a display of 'humor.' She claimed to have picked it up from her studies on humans. (We also have confusing news. Ax has told me that 'Esp,' whom we aren't certain is real, is a Yeerk, which means he doesn't remember the war.)

(A _YEERK?_) Forlay's tail was thrashing now.

(It may be nothing to worry about,) said Doctor Raolef quickly. (Your son is very confused right now. As Keritus said, we still aren't certain if Esp is real.)

_If he is, that makes him Elfangor's killer,_ I realized. According to Andalite tradition, the murder of a family member must be avenged. Also according to Andalite tradition, Aximili should be the one to avenge Elfangor. However, if he didn't believe Elfangor was his brother, he wouldn't kill Esp.

_If he won't, I will._ This 'Esp' had basically torn my family apart. He could not be allowed to make that kind of mistake, and live.

**Author's Note**: Why? _Why?_ WHY DID ME BODYGUARDS ABANDON ME?

Mob: THEY LIKE TORMENTING YOU MORE THAN PROTECTING YOU! YOU'D BETTER FIND REPLACEMENTS—ONE'S THAT LIKE YOU! _(Pelts Mersang with tomatoes.)_

Me: _(bawling like a baby)_ I HATE TOMATOES!


	6. Stealing Fighters Isn't Just A Human Thi

** Author's Note**: Sorry this took so long. I had to grieve for the loss of my bodyguards. And then came Christmas. EVERYONE READ 'THE SUMMONS' BY KOREAN PEARL! SHE TOTALLY RULES! Errors in Ricky's speech are deliberate. 

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

**Chapter Six: Stealing Fighters _Isn't_ Just A Human Thing**

_Elfangor's POV_

(Arbron, you idiot!) I had been yelling a lot today. I was relieved that thought-speak didn't get hoarse, the way spoken sounds did. My shouting spree had begun earlier that morning…

_:):Flashback:(:_

(Tobias! _Tobias!_ TOBIAS! _TOBIAS!_ Where are you?)

No one had seen my son since yesterday. When he had flown off, Loren and I were concerned, but assumed he would return soon and just needed some time to calm down. When he hadn't come back by nightfall, Loren began to worry. Now, the next day, we were both panicked.

Tom had offered to check and make sure the Yeerks hadn't captured Tobias. Cassie remained at her barn, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, in case he was injured and her father happened to bring him in. Rachel was searching the mall. Marco was flying over every place in the city we knew Tobias had been at some point. Jake had morphed wolf and checked with the free Hork-Bajir, in case Tobias had gone to their valley. Loren and I were searching the woods around the scoop and Tobias' territory. No luck.

(Well, he's not there, but I told Toby that if he does show up, to tell him we're looking for him.) Jake, still fully wolf, lowered his head to the stream and began to lap up some water. (Maybe Tom's got something.)

Like Tom, Loren always carried a cell phone. She dialed his number.

"Sorry. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Squat." That wasn't exactly what he said, but that was the basic idea.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"I'm just cool like that."

Loren hung up.

"Where could he possibly be?" she wailed.

"Just about anywhere, by now." Human now, Jake splashed more water on his face.

(Is that sanitary?)

"You drink it and aren't dead, must be pretty safe."

"What if the Skrit Na got him?"

"What's are Skrit Na?"

(A very irritating type of alien. They are actually two species. A Skrit, which vaguely resembles Earth's cockroaches, is a stupid creature which basically just cleans the ships. At some point the Skrit weave a cocoon and grow into a Na. Na are quadrupeds and more intelligent than the Skrit. They are able to stand erect on their hind legs and use their forelegs as hands. The Skrit Na fly around the galaxy in ships that look very much like the human renditions of flying saucers, and kidnap members of various species to keep in zoos on their home world. Actually, Loren was kidnapped by Skrit Na when she was around your age—that's how we met.)

"Weird."

"Yeah. I called them Skritchy Noses."

(I still do not understand the joke.)

"So… these Skrit Na guys might go after Tobias?" Jake looked worried.

(They might. They are unpredictable. No one really understands them.)

A Hork-Bajir jumped from a pine tree nearby and landed in front of me. I jumped back and raised my tail. The Hork-Bajir reacted similarly.

"Easy!" Jake yelped, before either of us could attack. "Elfangor, this is Toby Hamee, Toby, this is Elfangor."

The Hork-Bajir relaxed. "Nice to meet you." She turned to Jake. "We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"A Taxxon found us. We haven't been able to kill it because it's been hiding in its tunnels, but for some reason, it hasn't simply left."

Which was why, fifteen minutes later, I was bellowing at Arbron for being such an idiot.

Marco materialized before I could get more detailed on how stupid Arbron was. (I found Tobias!)

_Pete's POV_

"You do realize that if your dad EVER finds out about this I'm dead, right?"

(I asked for permission to stay here a while, you said okay. He's not going to kill you!)

"Oh, yes, he is. And if you try to reason with him he's going to think that I threatened you."

(Are you trying to kick me out?)

"No, I'm trying to say that it's probably best if nobody knows about this."

(Agreed.)

"Meow." Dude was somehow comfortable around Tobias' hawk form now. He reached out with one paw, claws retracted, and batted at his former master's wing. Tobias laughed.

(Dude, you are one crazy cat. You live with an alcoholic, your master's a bird, and Ricky's trying to teach you to be a guard cat? How do you deal with us?) Dude began purring.

"Guard cat?"

(Yeah, Ricky says you need something to attack burglars, and it might as well be Dude.)

"Dude's too friendly for that."

(Maybe he'll nuzzle them to death.)

I snorted. "Doubtful. He'll ignore them, unless they're carrying catnip. Then he'll just purr them to death." As if to prove my point, Dude's purring became noticeably louder.

"Hey, guys!" Ricky called from the door. "What's up?"

"Tobias just told me you've been trying to make Dude into a guard cat."

Ricky came in and pinned my nephew with a Death Glare. (Sorry, Rick, it just slipped out!)

Rick's expression became vacant. I presumed Eftlak was lecturing him about controlling his temper. "What's done can't be undone," he said softly.

"Ricky?" said an unfamiliar voice.

"Marco? Whatcha doin' here?

A short, Hispanic boy entered the room. "I saw you come in here and I wonder if—" He paused. "You _did_ know where Tobias was."

"Yeah. Your point?"

"He's missing and Elfangor's in panic."

(I came here to avoid Elfangor for a while,) my nephew informed him.

"What, he's not stressed enough with Ax missing, you have to be gone too?"

Tobias transferred himself from the chair's armrest to the floor and morphed human. Marco, the Hispanic boy, looked confused. Once fully human, Tobias punched Marco in the face.

"Does Elfangor even have a life outside of Ax?" Not waiting for an answer, he stalked upstairs. At the sound of a door slamming, I presumed he had gone to his bedroom.

"What did I do?" Marco rubbed his nose and left eye. He would have a big shiner by tomorrow.

"You made it sound like the only reason Elfangor's worried is because of Ax. Tobias has been feeling… less than friendly towards Ax as of late," I explained.

"Well, he didn't have to punch me."

"Neither do I, but I will if you don't get out." Ricky cracked his knuckles. Marco left quickly.

_He's going to tell Elfangor,_ I realized. _I am in so much trouble._

_Noorlin's POV_

_If I get caught, I am going to be in so much trouble,_ I thought. I had come up with a dangerous, possibly suicidal plan to avenge Elfangor's death. I was going to 'borrow' a ship, go to Earth, find Esp, and slit his throat.

I had already taken the ship. Now I had to bypass my planet's orbital defense.

(Codes accepted,) the computer told me. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. I quickly left the planet far behind, and jumped into Zero-space.

(So, where are we going?)

(Forlay? What are you doing here—_Where are you?)_

(I'm on you, Noorlin. Your front left hoof.) A small insect crept away from me and transformed into my wife.

(Why did you come?)

(You wouldn't tell me where you were going. I was worried. So I morphed that insect and went after you.)

(You should not have come.)

(You should have told me where you were going.)

I closed my eyes for a moment. (I am going to Earth, Forlay. If Aximili will not avenge his brother's death, then I shall. The current configuration of Zero-space means that I—_we_, can arrive on Earth tomorrow morning.)

_Forlay's POV_

Earth was a beautiful planet. It was mostly covered with glittering blue ocean, and swirling white clouds. The land was green and brown. The moon, a bare rock, was not nearly as impressive.

Noorlin had the ship hovering just beyond a rust colored planet roughly Earth's size, to avoid Yeerk detection. The solar system was quite attractive, as well. There were small, solid planets close to the yellow sun. The nearest to the sun was an entire planet of desert. The surface of the second planet was obscured by thick clouds.

Farther away were huge gas planets. One had a large red spot on it, another an impressive set of rings. The seventh and eighth planets were green and blue, respectively. All had amazing numbers of moons. Between the four gas planets and the four solid planets was an asteroid belt. There were also two large asteroids orbiting the solar system.

(We will attempt to land momentarily,) said Noorlin. (I have located a landing area where we have little chance of being discovered, but will be able to survive in.)

Our ship was moving swiftly as Noorlin brought us closer to Earth. He brought us into a dive when we neared the moon, and we sped towards one of the masses of green and brown.

(Noorlin, what are you doing?)

(We have to move quickly or the Yeerk scum will notice us.)

A Bug fighter appeared and attempted to shoot us down.

(They _have_ noticed us!)

(Grab onto something!) Noorlin ordered. I obediently clung to a safety restraint. A Dracon beam hit the ship's engines. (No!)

(What's happening?) I asked, as we picked up speed.

(I have lost control of the ship. We are crashing.) Noorlin turned to me, his eyes sad. (I'm so sorry, my love. This is all my fault.)

(Of course it isn't! I chose to follow you.)

We were approaching the ground at a terrifying speed. I shut my eyes.

(Forlay? If we don't live through this…) I felt my husband's hand wrap around mine. (I love you.)

(I love you as well, Noorlin,) I whispered.

BOOM!

**Author's Note**: (Ducks rotten fruit) Okay, before you all kill me, I'M SORRY this is a cliffhanger, I'M SORRY I didn't write an Ax/Keritus thing for this chapter, and Noorlin and Forlay are NOT DEAD! Elfangor's got enough angst to deal with _without_ me killing his parents.

Mob: THEY'D BETTER NOT BE DEAD! FOR YOUR SAKE, IF NOTHING ELSE…

Me: Relax, relax, I learned my lesson when Amy was killed for no reason. Besides, I _said_ that I had a plan this time.


	7. Can You Say Anger Management?

**Author's Note**: If you haven't read book nineteen, you may not want to read this chapter. This is set in an alternate universe where book nineteen didn't happen, but I'm using some characters introduced in book nineteen. Thus, if you have read book nineteen, this chapter will confuse you. As I said last time, errors in Ricky or Pete's speech are deliberate.

Disclaimer: The great Animorphs are property of the undeserving K. A. Applegate, not the slightly more deserving Mersang.

**Chapter Seven: Can You Say 'Anger Management?'**

_Toby Hamee's POV_

(He's _where_?)

"At his uncle's place, I followed Ricky there. He punched me in the face."

(Ricky or Pete?)

"Tobias."

"Tobias punched you in the face?" Loren repeated.

"Yeah. Then he ran upstairs and I heard a door slam. Pete says I ticked Tobias off by mentioning Ax."

(This is just unbelievable! Why would Tobias want to go back to _Pete,_ they hate each other! Remember when Pete showed up at Ricky's house? Tobias hid under the table! Why the hell did he go _back_ there?)

"I am confused," I announced. "Tobias has been found?" The humans and Andalite nodded. "And he is in an unsafe situation?" The Andalite nodded, but my human friends Jake and Marco looked uncertain. "Then why are we here and not making plans to rescue him?"

(Planning is unnecessary! Marco, show me Pete's home! I am going to tear him apart!)

"Is that not a bit rash?" I asked.

(No! He's kidnapped my son! Tearing him apart is lenient!)

"How do you know that Tobias is not there of his own free will?"

(He wouldn't be.) Elfangor was morphing into a bird. (Marco, show me where Pete's house is or I'll tear the entire neighborhood apart.)

_Pete's POV_

Ricky and I had agreed that Tobias probably needed a little space. Ricky would go up in an hour and a half to remind him to demorph, if he hadn't come down on his own by then.

There was a sharp knock on the door. I made the mistake of answering it. I was greeted by a supremely angry Andalite. Fortunately for me, he was in human morph.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?"

"Tobias is upstairs and in a rather bad mood, so I suggest—"

"TOBIAS!" I was slammed into a wall as my brother-in-law ran for the stairs. "TOBIAS!"

I heard him pounding on the door upstairs, and Tobias' sullen response. "Go away."

Elfangor came back down. "What the hell did you do to him? Why won't he open the door? DID YOU LOCK HIM IN THERE?" He demorphed and slapped me in the face with his tail blade. (LET HIM OUT!)

(Back off!)

(Tobias? Are you okay?) Elfangor turned one stalk eye towards the hawk addressing him.

(I said, back off. Uncle Pete's been nothing but decent to me lately. He quit drinking. I asked him to let me stay here so I could get away from you. _Unlike_ _some,_ his life _doesn't_ revolve around Ax. He cares about me. He doesn't just drop me for Ricky, or Ricky for me. He _divides his time_—a skill you ought to learn.)

(Son—)

(Elfangor, I told you: go away. I don't like repeating myself. Get out, now, or I will remove you.)

Loren came running in. "Elfangor, calm down! Tobias, where have you been?"

(I've been right here.)

"Peter? What's going on?"

"Your husband is trying to kill me and Tobias is trying to stop him."

RING! RING!

Ricky came in looking totally calm. He addressed my sister. "Didn't know _you_ had a cell phone. Or's that Tom's?"

_Esp's POV_

"What the…" The sky was lit up with what looked like a giant shooting star, or maybe a comet. It was headed for the construction site where Esi had almost managed to kill Elfangor.

Tom shrugged, and ran. We had been heading for the construction site anyway, we might as well check out whatever that thing was.

It had been an Andalite ship. When we got there, two Bug fighters had landed on either side of it. Hork-Bajir exited—one of them pointed a Dracon beam at me.

"At ease, Aftran. It's me, Esp."

The Hork-Bajir looked skeptical. "Visser Three's twin?"

"Esi's twin. I can't remember his rank."

"That's Esp, all right," said the other.

"Hi, Estril." Estril was Aftran's brother. They were both from a pool called Hett Simplat.

Aftran's focus had turned back to the wreckage. "Well, make yourself useful. Help move this metal, there's at least one Andalite scum in there."

I started pulling away lose shrapnel, while Aftran and Estril used their Hork-Bajir hosts' blades to slice through the metal. The ship was defiantly Andalite—after a few minutes, both of Tom's hands had nasty rashes.

"Here!" Estril yelled. He dragged out the body of an unconscious Andalite. I don't claim to be an expert on this sort of thing, and Elfangor would probably slice me up if I did, but I got the distinct impression that this Andalite was female.

"Here, too," Aftran announced, dragging out another body, "but this one's dead."

I came over and took a look. This Andalite looked rather like Elfangor. Of course, to me, all Andalites looked pretty much the same, but this resemblance was just uncanny.

Aftran was wrong. I could see the faint rise and fall of the Andalite's chest as he breathed, so he must have been alive. Since I wasn't stupid, I didn't mention that. A quick check proved that there were no other Andalites on the ship.

"Okay, how about you two take the live one to Esi or whatever and I'll get rid of this one and the ship?"

"Won't you need a Dracon beam?"

"I've got one." I showed Estril. The two Controllers nodded. Estril dragged the female to his Bug fighter, and he and Aftran both took off. I fired at the wreckage (highest setting) and it incinerated. I then dragged the male into the nearest building.

(WHO ARE YOU?) he roared.

"Tom." (Keep quiet, Esp. We can't have him finding out about you're a Yeerk, he's angry enough.) "What's your name?"

The Andalite looked around. (Where am I?)

"In an abandoned building. Your ship crashed just outside, I dragged you in. What's your name?"

(Where's Forlay?) Now the Andalite sounded rather panicked.

"Who's Forlay?"

(My wife, she was on the ship with me. Where is she?)

I flinched. "The Yeerk Empire has her."

(WHAT?)

"They left you because they thought you were dead."

(How do you know this?)

"I was… spying on them. The ship's been vaporized. Now tell me your name."

(Noorlin. Noorlin-Sirinial-Cooraf, actually.)

I frowned. "Does the name Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul mean anything to you?"

(You knew my son?)

"Both of them, actually. Unless Aximili and Elfangor are half-siblings through their mother." I felt a rush of fear. "Elfangor is going to kill me."

(How can he?) Noorlin's voice was bitter. (He's dead.)

"Er… Actually, he's not. You see—"

(WHAT?)

"He's not dead. It looked like he was, but he survived… long story there…"

(Tell it.) All four of Noorlin's eyes were fixed on me.

"Well, as I understand it, Elfangor got shot down in the space battle between the Dome ship and the Yeerks. I think the Andalites were caught by surprise when the Blade ship showed up. Elfangor had sent Ax to the Dome, which got detached, and when the rest of the Dome ship was blown up, the Dome crashed into the ocean.

"Elfangor's ship wound up here, and five humans found him. They're a bit younger than I am, in fact my little brother Jake is one of them. Elfangor figured he was dying, so he broke the Andalite law, _Seerow's__Kindness_, and gave them the power to morph. He was nearly killed when the Yeerks got him, but he survived. The kids—they call themselves the Animorphs—thought he'd been killed. They've been fighting the Yeerks ever since.

"A while after, they rescued Aximili from the bottom of the ocean, and a bit after that, they found out about Elfangor being alive. I met up with them around that time. We've had some problems—right now, Aximili's missing, we think he's on the Andalite home world."

(He is. He's been telling anyone who will listen that Elfangor is a traitor.)

"Yeah, um, I kind of knew that, I hacked into his medical records. I, er, understand he's also mentioned someone named Esp?"

(A Yeerk whom Aximili claims killed Elfangor.) I took a few steps away from the now enraged Andalite.

"Well, as you know, Aximili's really confused—Esp and Elfangor are allies, it's Esp's twin who hates Elfangor."

(Twin?)

"Uh…" I proceeded to explain Yeerk reproduction. "Oh, I know this is irrelevant, but since most humans have a hard time pronouncing Aximili's name, they call him Ax," I added.

(That would explain why he has been calling himself that… How do you know so much about Yeerks?)

(Time to drop the bombshell,) Tom muttered. "I'm Esp's host. He lives in my head, but we share control."

(You're a YEERK?)

"No, I'm a human. Esp is a Yeerk."

_Noorlin's POV_

This was unbelievable. I had crash landed on Earth to learn that my son, whose death I had come to Earth to avenge, was still alive, and I was at the mercy of a Yeerk.

"Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to contact Elfangor. You'll likely be more inclined to trust him than me." He pulled out a small, metallic object and punched in a code of some sort. "Hey, Loren, no I didn't find Tobias, but can you and Al get to the construction site, now?" He frowned. "Why do I hear yelling? I see. Well, drag all four over here, it's an emergency. _I'll tell you when you get here._ Okay. Fifteen minutes." He pulled the object away from his ear, pushed another button, and sat down.

Fifteen Earth minutes later, Tom/Esp exited the abandoned building. He re-entered followed by three humans. "I don't suppose you'd care to demorph?" he asked one of them.

The humans' eyes widened at the sight of me. The one Tom/Esp had spoken to transformed into an Andalite.

(Father?) Elfangor whispered.

_Esi's POV_

"Visser! Visser!"

(What?)

"An Andalite has been captured!"

(And where is it being held?)

"In the torture bay, Visser."

(Excellent.)

Upon seeing my new prisoner, Alloran had a panic attack. (_Jahar?_)

(Obviously not, this female is years younger than your wife,) I sneered. I was in a nasty mood—we had missed a brief window of opportunity to attack the Andalite home world. Zero-space had configured so that the journey would take roughly thirty Earth hours. However, by the time that the Empire had discovered this, it had reconfigured into taking several Earth years. I turned to the two Hork-Bajir who had brought in the Andalite. (How did you come to capture this Andalite?)

"In orbit, we saw an Andalite ship and shot it down. It crashed and we found two Andalites. One was dead, this one was alive," answered the larger Hork-Bajir.

(And you destroyed the wreckage and corpse?)

"Yes, Visser."

(Then we have only one problem.) I smirked as the Hork-Bajir exchanged looks of panic.

"Problem, Visser?"

(You are both credited for capturing this… scum. Yet there are two of you. You cannot both infest the new host.) I gestured towards the still unconscious Andalite.

"Actually, Visser," said the smaller Hork-Bajir timidly, "I would like to transfer to a human host."

(Your name?)

"Aftran-Nine-Four-Two of the Hett Simplat pool."

(I'm sure a transfer can be arranged.) How convenient. I had been trying to convince my twin to take on a more active role in the war. He had argued that his host was technically helpless, and difficult to control. He said it was unfair to expect any other Yeerk to be able to control the human. If I could convince him to switch host bodies with Aftran… I recognized the Hork-Bajir Aftran controlled as being rather aggressive as well.

I turned to the other Hork-Bajir. (Your name?)

"Estril-Seven-Three-One of the Hett Simplat pool."

(You will infest the Andalite tomorrow. Now leave. I need to inform the Council of Thirteen that an Andalite has been captured.)

"Thank you, Visser." The Hork-Bajir Controllers both made to leave.

(Aftran! Contact Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six lesser. You will be switching host bodies with him.)

"Yes, Visser."

**Author's Note**: I'm so evil!

Mob: HEY! HOW COME WE AREN'T IN THAT PHANTOM OF THE OPERA STORY?

Me: That's not mine. It belongs to my friend, I'm just posting it for her. I'm not sure she'd like having any more angry mobs than necessary in her story.


	8. Chapter That Is Way To Short

**Author's Note**: Late _and _short, but I've got exams _and_ writer's block. Sorry.

Mob: SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT ANYMORE! 

Me: Well too bad!

Disclaimer: Ditto on the last one.

**Chapter Eight: Chapter That Is _Way_ To Short…**

_Rachel's POV_

I had been at the mall for five hours, resisted the urge to mega-shop at six major sales, and I still hadn't found Tobias. Worse, no one had called me to say that they had found Tobias, either. Tom/Esp (mostly Esp) had modified a set of walkie-talkies to work at the same ranges as an average cell phone.

"Rachel, Cassie, the bird has been found. Repeat, the bird has been found." Never mind, then. Jake sounded confused, and I didn't blame him. Tobias had been acting so strangely as of late. None of us knew quite what to think.

"Everyone, construction site, NINS."

"Tom? Say again?"

"Now if not sooner." I practically ran from the mall, ignoring the weird looks I was getting.

I was the first one to the site. Tom/Esp popped out of one of the buildings, and gestured me inside.

Ricky was sitting in a corner; Tobias perched, in hawk form, on his shoulder. Loren was standing a short distance from them. Also present was Elfangor, and an Andalite I didn't know.

(Who are you?> the strange Andalite asked me.

(Father, this is Rachel,> said Elfangor cautiously. (One of the humans who has been fighting the Yeerk Empire. Rachel, this is my father, Noorlin.>

"Nice to meet you."

(Likewise. You aren't another one of _them,_ are you?> He twitched one stalk-eye towards Tom/Esp and Ricky/Eftlak, who alone was looking very much at ease.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," I said as politely as possible, though I thought that I could guess.

(Another Yeerk,> he practically spat the word, (claiming to be an ally.>

(They _are_ our allies, Father,> said Elfangor exasperatedly

(How can you be sure?>

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be alive," said Tom/Esp calmly. He showed none of his usual irritation at being spoken of as if he wasn't there.

(What about Forlay?>

"Who?" I asked.

"Explanation later. Did I forget to mention that there are only two Yeerks in our little troupe?" Tom/Esp returned to their cell phone. "Midget, Cassie, Marco, what's keeping you?"

"Which building are you in?" Jake asked.

"Ricky, mind showing people in?" Ricky silently shook his head and left. He came back in with Rachel, Jake, and Marco following him.

"Before you ask, they're all free," Tom said to Noorlin.

(How do I know that you aren't lying?>

"You could check." Seeing our surprised looks, Tom/Esp revealed what I thought was a click-pen. When he pointed the pointed end at his head and it began beeping softly. _Beep. Beep. Beep._ "One of Esp's inventions. A Yeerk-detector. Based on how Gleet bio-filters detect unauthorized life forms, except it beeps instead of killing the Yeerk." He pointed it at Elfangor, and nothing happened. He then tossed it to Noorlin. "You can keep it, I've got another one."

_Ax's POV_

I was lonely, with nothing but my thoughts for company. I couldn't understand them, the way I understood Keritus. My first clear memories were of Doctor Raolef and waking up in that ship's infirmary. Before that, everything was tangled up. Even now, my thoughts were all mixed up.

Keritus helped. She made me sort them out. Not like a doctor would, she was my friend. She helped me sort things out.

I wondered if she had a boyfriend. Probably, she was very pretty. I liked her eyes, all blue-green, like… turquoise gemstones. No, not stones, really… all soft and gentle… like my fur if it were greenish… No. They weren't like that, they were…

_Beautiful beyond description?_

(Yes, that's it.>

If she didn't have a boyfriend, maybe I could be her boyfriend. I liked her a lot.

I wondered what Esp would think of her. He'd like her, probably. But he'd be skeptical, he always was. He'd ask awkward questions.

_What do you know about her? About her family, her friends, her interests? She spends time with you, but what about the rest of her life? What do you know about that? And while you're asking, why does she spend time with you in the first place?_

I felt rather shocked to realize that I couldn't answer those questions. Any of them. I bore my soul to Keritus, but what did I know about her?

_Nothing. You moron, Ax! She could be anyone, for all you know she used to work for the traitor!_

(No way! Keritus is too nice to have anything to do with that scumbag.>

_Then why hasn't she told you anything about her life outside this room?_

(I'm sure she has a good reason not to tell me about herself. Maybe she just hasn't said anything because I haven't asked.>

_You are an idiot, Ax. Do you even realize that you're talking to yourself? Keep this up and she'll start thinking you're crazy._

(I don't have anyone else to talk to. The walls don't seem very conversational.>

_I really hope that you were joking just then._

(Oh, shut up. I'm bored.>

_You're lock in a nearly featureless room, with only Keritus and Doctor Raolef for company. Of course you're bored._

About then, Doctor Raolef entered. He was feeding me and keeping me hydrated through injections, because my room had no grass and I wasn't allowed outside.

(Hello, Ax. How are you feeling today?>

(Bored. May I use a computer?>

(Not today. Maybe tomorrow.> He inserted the needle into my shoulder and injected the liquid into me.

(You've said that every time I've asked from the beginning. Are you _ever_ going to let me _near_ a computer?>

(Well… Ax, do you remember when you told Keritus that Esp was a Yeerk?>

I exploded. (What is said between Keritus and myself is meant to STAY between us!> What else had she told him?

(She had to tell someone, Ax. We are… that is, the Andalite race is… at war with the Yeerks.>

I chose not to respond. A trick. It must have been a trick. Esp was my friend. Why would the Andalites and Yeerks be at war? The idea was ridiculous.

(We aren't sure if it would be a good idea to let you use a computer, because you would try to contact Esp.> Doctor Raolef watched me for a moment, warily, then he left.

_Noorlin's POV_

I was starting to get rather impatient. The 'Animorphs,' as the humans called themselves, didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Forlay's life and freedom were in danger, and none of them seemed motivated to save her. The Yeerk who called himself Esp was typing on what Elfangor called a laptop computer, and the other Yeerk was shushing anyone who spoke.

"Blade ship," Esp muttered. "Typical. Does Esi even _know_ that there's a Pool ship in orbit?"

_Forlay's POV_

(Where… where am I?> No one answered. I opened my eyes.

I was in a box. A _small_ box. Andalite claustrophobia kicked in, and I panicked. I slapped the walls with my hands, my tail, even my head. (Let me out! LET ME OUT!>

(Why would I want to do that?> The voice chilled me to the bone. It was pure hatred, poured directly into my brain.

(Who are you?> I don't know why I asked—I was certain that I didn't want to know.

"Visser!" cried a new voice. A _spoken_ voice! Was it a human? A Hork-Bajir?

(_What_?>

"There's a problem with the ship's computers!"

(Then fix them!>

"We can't! We've been trying for the past half hour!" I was not experienced with identifying emotions through sound, but I heard fear in that voice.

SSSHHWWOOOM! Suddenly, my cage was opened. The walls opened, and I struggled to my hooves.

(The Andalite Bandits must have hacked into the system to try and free their comrade!> shouted a male Andalite standing nearby. The Hork-Bajir had called him 'Visser.' That must have meant…

This was the Abomination.

I froze in terror. He swung his tail, and I didn't duck fast enough. I took a blow to the head.

When I woke up, I was back in the box.

**Author's Note**: Everyone, please bear with me about Ax, okay? The poor guy isn't in his right mind, so he's a bit out of character.

Here's the reason behind the writer's block: I know what I want to happen, but I'm not sure how to get there. Maybe I could e-mail someone the stuff I know will happen, and they could suggest something? Volunteers appreciated. So are all reviews, really…

I won't be able to do review responses for a while because my computer time is limited. _(Gee, thanks, Mom!)_ Rest assured that, when I can, I will give review responses.


	9. Esp's Crazy, Paradoxical Plan

**Author's Note**: I have good news! My fellow-writer friend (the one who's writing 'The Phantom Lover') conquered my writer's block for me!

Mob: YOU'RE A WUSS! A PATHETIC WIMP! YOU COULDN'T DEFEAT YOUR OWN WRITER'S BLOCK AND SO YOU GOT A FRIEND TO DO IT FOR YOU!

Me: Well, in all fairness I helped my friend defeat their writer's block in return!

Mob: WUSS! WIMP! WUSS! WIMP! WUSS! WIMP! WUSS! WIMP! WUSS! WIMP! WUSS! WIMP!

Disclaimer: I am not KAA, nor do I work for Scholastic. Animorphs are property of KAA and Scholastic. You figure it out, genius!

Claimer: I own Ricky, Eftlak, Amy (she's dead, but in my defense that wasn't supposed to happen!), Doctor Raolef, and Keritus.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Esp's Crazy, Paradoxical Plan**

(Yes, paradoxical is a real word!)

_Tom's POV _

"Okay. Hacking into the Blade ship's security system didn't work. No matter." Esp clapped my hands together. "New plan. Earplugs are working like a dream, now I just need to insert them… that'll be tricky…"

(I don't suppose you plan to tell us what you're babbling about?>

"Chill, Elfangor. Esp is trying to plan a rescue. At least, I think that's what he's muttering about. Esp, you can_not_ be involved in this, at least not openly. Says who? Says the fact your twin is not stupid and will put two and two together."

(What was that bit about earplugs?>Tobias asked. It was the first thing he'd said since arriving in the construction site.

"Esp invented these earplugs that seal up your ear canal if you tense up. They could, in theory, prevent involuntary infestation. We tested them yesterday."

(Do you have any other inventions that might prove helpful?>

(Why would a _Yeerk_ invent something that would _prevent_ infestation?>

Esp snapped out of 'planning mode' and into 'explaining mode.' "None that are new inventions in their own right, but I did manage to get my Dracon beam stuck on stun—took _ages,_ but I managed—and improved the energy source. I'm working on a more compact and energy-efficient force-field generator." Suddenly, my face warped into this really creepy grin Esp has when he's seen the perfect, straight line from A to Z. "Okay. Plan B."

_Tobias' POV_

Elfangor's father—my grandfather, I suppose, but that concept was just weird—moved between Elfangor and Tom/Esp. Tom's face was lit by this freaky smile, and he looked almost triumphant. After a moment, the weird grin vanished, but the triumphant look stayed. He started muttering again.

"Two birds, one stone… no offence, Tobias… It's perfect… of course we'll have to wait for a week, paradox-induced headaches are _nasty,_ Rick would kill me."

(What is he talking about _this_ time?>

(I honestly have no idea, Father.>

"We can free Forlay _and_ Alloran. We'll have to wait so we don't create paradox, but it can be done."

Noorlin looked dubious. (I fail to see how that is possible, but if it is, why wait?>

"We wait because, just over a week ago, we went forward in time by two weeks, and Alloran was still infested. Then we went back in time _three_ weeks by accident, stayed a while, and I got a paradox-induced headache and was responsible for a child's death because of it. I for one would not like to repeat that experience."

Ricky growled softly at the mention of his sister's death.

"If these earplugs work on Andalites as well as they did on Tom, and we can sneak them to Forlay, she can't be infested. We stall the infestation for a week and make sure Esi and I are there for the infestation. He gets mad when whoever is supposed to infest Forlay can't do it, so he decides to prove the Yeerk incompetent by infesting her himself. While he's between hosts, I stun everyone and melt the locks. Hopefully, Forlay and Alloran will take the hint and run."

(That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!>

"Okay, genius, _you_ come up with something. This is all in case we don't get Forlay out before then, anyway. That's why it's Plan B instead of Plan A."

Marco frowned. "I thought that hacking into the Blade ship was Plan A."

"Nah, that was to figure out where she was being held and test the security. The fact that she could technically have escaped was an added bonus."

(IS THIS SOME SORT OF GAME TO YOU?> Noorlin's tail was quivering as he held it to Tom/Esp's throat.

"Hell, no. Basketball is a game. Chess is a game. This is a war. It's just easier to make jokes because I'm not on the front lines this time."

_(This time?>_

"Invasions of the Hork-Bajir and Taxxon planets both had me stuck in combat."

(You were alive back then?> Noorlin looked skeptical. Tom/Esp looked at him like he was dense.

"I was born roughly one Earth year before the invasion of the Hork-Bajir home world began, in the first artificial Yeerk pool to be taken off of _my_ home planet. I was the second Yeerk to take a Hork-Bajir as a full time host body, making me the second Yeerk to infest a Hork-Bajir _at all._ I was the _first_ Yeerk to infest a Taxxon." Tom's voice was bitter. Self-loathing was obvious. "The only part of this war I haven't been in was the attack on the Andalites on the Yeerk home world, when we betrayed Prince Seerow's trust." He had been slouching in a corner. Now he stood up and approached Noorlin. When he was practically in the Andalite's face, he said softly, "I don't think you came for my life story, somehow. Stop me if I'm boring you."

"What's he so offended about?" Jake asked Ricky softly.

"Noorlin doubted his honesty. Esp takes that as a major dis."

They had been whispering, but since the room was nearly silent, everyone heard. Elfangor broke the silence. (Esp's plan may be… less than ideal, but it is the only plan we have so far. He was right about Crayak interfering with the Time Matrix, maybe he's right about this.>

(The Time Matrix isn't real,> Noorlin protested.

"Of course it's real, how did you think we went forward in time two weeks?"

Noorlin didn't answer. There was no safe response to the tone Esp was using.

_Ax's POV_

I was having a fascinating argument with myself about whether or not to sneak out to find a computer and contact Esp—the part of me that was against that course of action had all of the logic; the side of me that was for doing it had all the imagination—when Keritus came in. I still hadn't decided how to act around her, after she told Doctor Raolef information I'd given her in confidence, so I ignored her.

(Ax?> she said tentatively.

(If you want more information to give Doctor Raolef you might as well leave.> I refused to look at her, focusing on the wall instead.

(Ax, I'm sorry…>

(If you want more information to give Doctor Raolef you might as well leave.>

(I didn't mean to tell him anything…>

(If you want more information to give Doctor Raolef you might as well leave.>

(I just got scared… He said he'd told you about the war…>

(If you want more information to give Doctor Raolef you might as well leave.>

(Ax, please, look at me. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you…>

I finally turned around. Keritus did look sorry. (Promise you'll never do it again? Cross your hearts?>

Keritus looked rather confused at the last phase, but smiled. (I promise. Do you forgive me?>

(Yes. But if you _do_ want more information for Doctor Raolef, leave.> She stayed.

After a few moments, I broke the comfortable silence. (I really, really like you, Keritus.>

(I like you too, Ax.>

(Tell me about yourself.>

(What?> She looked surprised that I'd asked.

(You know all about me, now I want to know about you.>

(All right.> I received an abbreviated version of Keritus' life story. It was rather strange that she never got very specific about what her field of interest was, or about peoples' names. She referred to all her friends by their first names, and didn't mention her parents' names at all.

I dismissed this as unimportant. Particularly compared to the radiant way Keritus' eyes glittered when she spoke…

* * *

**Author's Note**: _(annoying sing-song voice) _Ax has a cru-ush! Ax has a cru-ush!

Since I have today off school to, quote, "study for exams," end quote, I'm doing review responses!

**Aldrea**: I like your story idea. Get an author account; e-mail me the rest for editing/betaing; then, for the love of all that is good, POST IT! (You're allowed to review twice because, since you don't sign in to review, the site can't tell if you're the same person.)

**Dragon**: I am only posting one chapter at a time because I only write one chapter at a time. I would get mixed up if I wrote two chapters at once. If I waited to have more than one chapter written between updates, it would take longer for you to get the stuff that was already written. /sadly, my computer time is limited. I have no idea how or why, but I seem to have a life outside of fan fiction! THE HORROR!

**Beekiller-Johanna from Finland**: In the future, may I call you B-J F? Thank-you for your offer, I may yet take you up on it, but my friend seems to have fixed my problems for now. I like your 'Godzilla's bride' story, keep up the good work! Bummer about the limited computer time.

**Korean Pearl**: Be patient! I want Ax back on Earth, too, but so far it isn't happening.

**Asmodeus1389**: Glad you caught up at last.


	10. Time Flies

**CAUTION, READ THIS**: This chapter contains an extremely brief mention of sex. Nothing graphic, just one word. If you disprove, skip to the first symbol. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Disclaimer: Anything that is even vaguely related to the Animorphs is technically not mine.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Time Flies**_Keritus' POV_

Ax and I were having real conversations now. He still hadn't relaxed around the doctors, but we were… friends.

True to my promise, I had not told my father anything more about our conversations. He knew what was happening by looking through the recordings, but that was all. However, the four days since our 'argument' had revealed a problem.

Ax was getting restless.

(I can't leave this room, I can't use a computer, you doctors are controlling every aspect of my life right now, and I'm bored!> he yelled when I entered. Turning to face me, he flushed and added softly, (Keritus—I'm sorry. I thought that you were another doctor.>

(You're really annoyed about staying in here, aren't you?>

(I'm _lonely_. The doctors don't really care, I'm just 'the patient that Doctor Raolef found in Zero-space' to them. You're the only person I can have a conversation with. Actually, I've taken to talking to myself when you aren't here. Could you maybe beg the doctors to let me use a computer, at the very least?> He fixed me with pleading eyes.

(I can try. I've been trying, actually, but the doctors don't think that it's safe to let you out. I didn't say I agreed!> I added, seeing his eyes flash with anger.

Ax sighed. (I wasn't angry with you, I was angry with _them_. Please, Keritus. Convince them to let me see outside for a few minutes. Or at least put me in a different room for a while. A change of scene might keep me from going mad from monotony.> The last bit was addressed to the camera.

(The thing is… I don't think they will let you out unless…> Ax gave me a hopeful look. (Unless you say Esp was a figment of your imagination while recovering from exposure to a vacuum and that you were wrong about… the traitor.>

Now Ax looked betrayed. (But I'm telling the truth!>

(They don't think that. The majority of Andalite society considers Yeerks enemies, and the one you accuse of treachery,> I had to be very careful not to say Elfangor's names, (is considered a hero for fighting against them.>

(I know. Doctor Raolef told me. Can we change the subject?>

(Of course. What would you like to talk about?>

(Do you have a boyfriend?>

(A what?>

(A male that you are close friends with, who is interested in you romantically and whose affections you return.>

I laughed. (My parents are far to protective of me to allow that, Ax. You're the _only_ male I've been allowed to befriend. Father says that at my age, all that most males have on their mind is mating, and it isn't safe to get to close to them.>

Ax snorted. (You are pretty, but I don't think any male who valued his life would make inappropriate advances on you.> I had told him about a brief tail-fighting lesson my father had given me, and now Ax seemed to think that I was an expert fighter.

I didn't dare tell Ax how much I was starting to wish that _he_ could be my boyfriend. He was funny and smart and handsome... If not for his amnesia we could have been best friends, at least.

_:): That night :(:_

(I'm sorry, Keritus, but I just don't think that it's a good idea.>

(Father, you've said that ever since Ax first came here. He's bored. Just let him use a computer for a little while? _Please_?>

(It isn't safe to have him leave that room.>

(It isn't safe to leave him in there! Andalites aren't meant to be confined for so long, if at all. It could do extreme damage to his mind—we aren't helping him by imprisoning him!>

Knowing that I would keep pressing the issue, Father gave in. (Fine. He can use the computer tomorrow. For exactly one hour. Under your supervision, he wouldn't tolerate a doctor looking over his shoulder.>

(Thank you, Father. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.>

_:): The next day :(:_

(You mean it? I can use a computer?>

(For one hour, if I'm right there, yes.>

Ax was so ecstatic that he practically knocked me over as he ran for the door. (What are you waiting for? Let's go!>

(Ax, wait, there's another condition—you have to promise not to try to contact Esp.>

Ax was… disappointed. (That was half of the reason that I wanted to use a computer in the first place.> He perked up. (Well, you can't have everything. It'll be a treat just to get out of this room.>

_Ax's POV_

I spent the hour that I was allowed on the computer playing games. Keritus actually agreed to play against me in some of them. She had a beautiful laugh.

(Thanks, Keritus. I had a wonderful time,> I said when we finished.

(Yes… so did I.> She looked rather shy suddenly. I felt a bit awkward. Part of my mind was telling me to kiss her, the sane part arguing that I had no right to do so, and she would probably never visit me again if I tried.

I had to take a chance. I was convinced by now that I was in love with her, and I had to know if she felt the same way.

But what if she didn't? What if she got angry?

I kissed her.

Keritus gasped in shock. I pulled away, and considered running for my life. Then it was my turn to gasp—she kissed me back.

(Can I be your boyfriend?> I asked, too shocked to think about anything other than her.

(_Yes_.> We kissed again.

(KERITUS!> Doctor Raolef came charging towards us. (_Get away from him!>_

(Father…>Keritus looked frightened.(It isn't what you think…>

(_You_,> he stabbed a finger towards Keritus, (go back to the scoop.>

(But, Father, I—>

(_NOW!_ And _you_,> he turned to me, with pure fury in every movement. (Stay _away_ from my daughter.>

I was lock back in the room. Keritus gave me an apologetic look as Doctor Raolef led her away. My mind was reeling, figuring out the pros and cons of my situation. Pro: Keritus was now my girlfriend. Con: Doctor Raolef didn't approve. Pro: I was now Keritus' boyfriend. Con: Doctor Raolef was Keritus' _father_, which she hadn't told me. Pro: Keritus and I were now dating. Con: I was locked up again and she was gone.

Okay, more like _pro_, singular, and cons, plural, of my situation.

_Doctor Raolef's POV_

(What happened back there?> I roared, once Keritus and I were home.

(Ax kissed me, and I kissed him back.>

(Keritus, you are _far_ to young for that sort of relationship, even with a male who _is_ in his right mind!>

(Are you saying Ax is crazy?>

(I am saying that he may be mentally unstable, and while he seems to like you, he may hurt you, even if he doesn't intend to!>

(Father, I am old enough to make some decisions on my own, and whether you like it or not, I'm in love with Ax!>

(_WHAT_?>

(You heard me: I am in love with Ax.>

(You aren't even an adult yet; you don't know what love is!>

(Yes, I do, and I know that I am in love with Ax.>

I was about to press my argument, but Keritus ran outside. Deciding to leave her alone and let her calm down, I didn't follow.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Evil me, evil me, ended it on a cliffie! Actually, I kind of wanted to leave you all hanging where Ax kissed Keritus, but that would just be too mean.

Mob: INARTICULATE BELLOW OF RAGE!

Me: Oh, be quiet. This was mostly just to make time pass. Technically, five days have passed in the Animorphs' world since the last chapter.

For those who are wondering, Andalites kiss by stroking each other's faces with their palms (_Hork-Bajir Chronicles_, of all places… one would think it would be in _Andalite Chronicles_…)


	11. I'm Never Doing That Again

**Author's Note**: This is perhaps the shortest thing that I have ever written. I needed to get it out of my head—my other method for freeing Forlay wasn't working in the long run of the story. 

**Disclaimer**: I do not own. You do not sue. Get it? Good.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: That Was Interesting. Let's _Never_ Do It Again.**

_Tom's POV _

"It's official," Esp announced, slumping into the crumbling building. "I hate the Blade ship."

(Why were you _on_ the Blade ship?>

"Oh, no real reason, I just had some spare time so I figured that I might as well free your mother. You can demorph now, Forlay." I placed the cockroach in my pocket on the floor.

The cockroach became purplish-blue, pale indigo really, and grew. Midget told me that there is nothing uglier than a cockroach the size of a human. There is—a blue, fluffy cockroach the size of a horse, growing Andalite stalk-eyes and a tail, three feet away from your face. I had a sneeze attack the second the fur sprouted. I left the building so the Andalites could have their family reunion in peace.

Five minutes later…

(HOW?> Noorlin demanded, glaring at me.

"You're welcome."

(No time for that, Esp. _What_ _happened?>_ Elfangor snapped.

"I snuck onto the Blade ship, messed up the filters so they'd let a cockroach through, found _her_," Esp jerked my head towards Forlay, "convinced her I didn't work for the Empire—that took a while—got her to morph the cockroach, and walked out, nearly getting pummeled by a suspicious guard on the way. Oh—I had to borrow this." He took the fragments of the morphing cube from my other pocket. "Took me a while to find all the pieces, but it just got shattered, no melting. Weird, huh?"

(I thought that was destroyed when my ship blew up,> Elfangor whispered.

"Nope. Smashed and scattered. Good thing I'm patient."

(_Right_. You just keep thinking that, Esp.>

(Shut up, Tom.>

(Make me.>

"We've got to run. I'm using Eftlak as an alibi and I need to let him know about it."

* * *

**Author's Note**: See? I told you it was short.

Mob: YEAH! WAY TOO SHORT!

Me: Well, cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it! I'm busy with the homework from hell, and an update was way overdue.

**Review Responses:**

**Anicrazy:** As long as you care enough about the story to review, why would I care if you signed in or not? Good point on the chapter previews, I just saw them in a Harry Potter story I liked and thought that I'd try them out.

**Asmodeus1389:** Yay! I can get regular feedback from you now. 

**Dragon: **BE PATIENT, OKAY?

**Tiamath:** Don't worry, I swear you will forgive me (evil grin). Thanks for pointing out that blooper. I owe you one. 

**Korean Pearl:** She said Ax was the first male she was _allowed_ to be friends with. I'll leave you to think on that.

**Tobias1452: **Nice use of reverse psychology. The only trouble with that is sometimes you'll be taken literally.


	12. Coma

** Dedication**: to Tiamath (cool name) and everyone else who's ticked about Amy's death… which is everyone who reads my Animorph stuff.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anyone who can be recognized from the Animorphs books, or the concept of an Intensive Care Unit.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Coma**

_Tom's POV _

"That's so sad," I heard Mom say to Dad as I came in.

"What is?" I asked, entering the kitchen and grabbing an apple off the counter.

(Esp! I was _going_ for the chips.>

(You need nutrition. I'm not letting you snack on junk any more than I have to.>

"A little girl in the Intensive Care Unit, looks about five. The police found her unconscious in a park—she's in a coma." My heart stopped. A kid that young was in a coma? "Her parents haven't been found. The hospital's going to declare her abandoned if she can't point them out when she wakes up."

"Whoa. That _is_ sad. Poor kid." I crunched down on the apple, suddenly not sure if I was hungry.

Mom noticed. "Tom! Are you eating _fruit? Voluntarily?_"

"No. I'm eating fruit because a friend keeps lecturing me about nutrition when I'm hanging out with him, and you keep lecturing me about it when I'm here."

(Well, maybe if you took better care of yourself—>

(Just shut it, Esp.>

Mom smiled. "I like this friend of yours. You'll have to introduce us someday."

_Random human doctor's POV (I can't be bothered to think of a name)_

I looked in on the small girl. She seemed alright, compared to how she had been. We had thought we would skip straight to an autopsy when we first saw her, but she was alive. Her breath was shallow, and her heartbeats were too weak to be detected without a monitor, but she was alive.

She had been brought in three weeks ago, and had improved dramatically. Her heartbeats, which had been faint, irregular tremors on the monitor, were now strong and even. Her breathing could be seen if you looked for it, and was unlabored. Even her hair, cut into short tresses, looked more alive.

If not for the hospital around her, she could have been any sleeping child. Even if she had been asleep for three weeks.

_Esp's POV_

Jake seemed troubled all evening. His and Tom's father, who I also called 'Dad' for lack of a better name, had told him about the child in the hospital. Later, Tom heard his mother suggesting to his father that if the girl's parents weren't found, they could adopt her.

Still, even if Jake _was_ troubled, neither Tom nor I expected him to come into Tom's bedroom at eleven o'clock at night.

"Tom?" he whimpered. I mean, he almost literally whimpered. Tom was instantly on what I'd dubbed 'Big Brother Alert.'

"What's the matter, midget?"

"I know I'm kind of old for this, but… I had a nightmare."

Tom raised an eyebrow at his brother.

(You know that there's no point in doing that, right? It's too dark for him to see.>

(It's just a habit, Esp.>

"And now you want me to sleep in your room so that I can wake you up if you start thrashing or something?"

"No, it's just… just… Promise me you'll never do something stupid and get hurt, okay?"

Tom blinked in surprise—another activity totally pointless in the dark. "What do you mean?"

"You know that little girl Dad mentioned at dinner?"

"Yeah. Poor kid. What about her?"

"I was just thinking…" At any other time, Tom would've interrupted there with faked horror. This time, he engaged in yet another activity totally pointless in the dark—nodding and gesturing for Jake to continue. "If someone that young can go into a coma—and she probably isn't even involved in this war—then what does that say about our chances? We might not survive this war. I know this sounds corny, but I don't want to lose you."

Tom finally did something that _wasn't_ meaningless in the dark—he hugged Jake. "I don't want to lose you either, midget."

_Jake's POV_

When I woke up the next morning, it took me a minute to figure out where I was. I recognized the place, but it was too clean to be my room. The sight of Tom lying on the floor jogged my memory.

After he'd given me a bear-hug last night, Tom had pretty much ordered me to stay in his bed, and to wake him if I had another nightmare. He was sleeping so that he blocked the door—no one could go in or out unless he moved, or they tripped on him.

I stretched and got up. The cover took a minute to squirm out of. Tom had tucked me in, like Dad had when I was six and got the chicken pox. If anyone found out about this I would prove once and for all whether it was possible to die from humiliation.

"Morning, sleepyhead," said Tom drowsily. "Took you long enough to wake up." He sat up. "We'd both better get ready for school." I winced.

"Tom! Jake!" Mom called from downstairs. "Your schools just called—they're both cancelled for teachers' conferences."

Tom whooped, jumped up, and pumped his fist into the air. "Wanna shoot some hoops?" he challenged me.

"Sure." I was still a bit groggy, so Tom basically pummeled me all morning.

"You sure you're awake?" he asked me when we took a break for lunch.

"I'm fine, Tom."

"No, you're not."

"I'm just a little groggy, I'll be okay."

Tom gave me a look that said he really doubted that, but he was willing to drop it.

"Hey, boys, your father forgot his lunch, and I need to run some errands. Can one of you take it?" asked Mom.

"I'll do it," said Tom instantly. He took the bag out of Mom's hand and went to get his bike. He took off, still fastening his helmet.

_Esp's POV_

(So, what's the rush?> I asked.

(Mom must've noticed something up with Jake, and she'll be better at dragging it out of him.>

(If it has to do with the war, he'll never tell her. He might tell _you_, though.>

(If he was going to, he would have this morning. Maybe Cassie…> Tom didn't say anything more. We had arrived at the hospital.

After he delivered his father's lunch, Tom began wandering the hospital.

(What are we doing, exactly?>

(I'm not sure.> Tom frowned. (We're here. The Intensive Care Unit.>

(You're curious about that little girl your dad mentioned.>

(Yup.>

Tom slowly stuck his head into the room. Except for the standard hospital equipment, it was bare. I would've thought that the ICU would be filled with flowers or something.

There was only one patient. Considering the nature of this Unit, I suppose that this was a good thing. The girl was hooked up to a heart monitor, a respirator (artificial lung), an IV drip, and other machines neither Tom nor I could identify.

Tom went in for a closer look. He nearly collapsed when we got close enough to see her face.

_Eftlak's POV_

(I'm telling you, therapy will help.>

(I'm telling _you_ to drop it.>

(And neither of us seems inclined to listen to the other.>

(Look, Eftlak, therapy won't do anything, and I can't afford it anyhow.>

(Just try it out. You have to do something.>

(I've handled this stuff before, okay? I can manage!>

(Then why are you still yelling at me?>

Ricky, trying to come up with a scathing response, jumped when Tom came tearing into the store. "What—"

"Rick, you won't believe me, but you've _got_ to come to the hospital, you _need_ to see someone."

"What—" Rick repeated, but Tom grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the store.

Tom pulled us through several buses, a hospital, and into the ICU. "She's… over… there…" he panted, gesturing towards one of the beds.

Skeptical and confused, Ricky leaned over the patient. "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

"No way, man. I don't know for sure, but I think it's her."

There were noises from some of the monitors. The heart monitor got louder, as the girl's heartbeats strengthened. The respirator sped up—and the girl opened her eyes.

Even I recognized those eyes.

"Ricky?" she whispered.

Rick collapsed, falling to his knees. He started crying. "_Amy?_"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Okay, that was horrible: fluffy, sappy, corny, cliché, cheesy—any other adjectives you can think of. This chapter is mostly a plea for forgiveness.

Mob: SOME THINGS CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN!

Me: Oh, be quiet.

Review Responses: 

**Anicrazy**: Wow, that was quick. I know that the chapter was short, but only thirty seconds to get a review? If that's not devotion, I'd like to know what is.

**Korean Pearl**: It _means_ that she's had other male friends, against her parents' wishes. Duh.

**Anifan1**: See that 'Tom-Esp' dialogue up there? That's for you!


	13. Rescue Missions

**Disclaimer:** I didn't steal these characters. I borrowed them without permission or consent from their creator, and wrote these sentences before using them so that I can't get sued for it.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Rescue Missions**

_Eftlak's POV_

I was in absolute, total shock. Or maybe that was Ricky. Either way, the shock was tangible.

"How do we get her out?" Tom asked. I don't think Rick heard him. "I mean, it's not like the doctors are going to just let us walk out with their patient."

Out of the corner of Ricky's eye, I saw one of those cart things that assistants use to move medical stuff. There was a sheet covering it.

(That cart,> I told Ricky. (She could hide under it.>

Rick snapped out of his trance. He quickly disconnected his little sister from all the machines around her. Tom glanced at the cart and seemed to figure out what I'd said. He grabbed two spare doctor coats.

"Okay, Amy," said Ricky, "ya need to hide in the bottom of this cart. Don't come out 'til I tell ya to. If ya do, we'll get split up. Got it?"

The very confused kid nodded. Ricky pulled back the sheet covering the cart so that she could slip under it. He then pulled on the white coat that Tom had offered him.

"If my dad catches us, I am so dead," Tom muttered. He took a deep breath. "Okay: just look confident, follow my lead, and no one should give us a second look."

Ricky nodded. We pushed the cart out of the room and towards the elevators. Suddenly, a man stopped us. Ricky tensed. (This is it. We're doomed.>

"Can we help you, sir?" asked Tom, like nothing was wrong.

"I'm looking for my son, room 104S…"

"Down this hall, turn left, it's the fifth door, there's a water fountain next to it."

"Thanks." The man rushed off.

"How'd you know that?" Ricky asked under his breath.

"Dad works here. And I was in that room one time, when I broke my arm. It's kind of embedded in my memory."

We got to the elevators without being stopped again. I guess, in a hospital, no one cares about a couple of extra orderlies unless they need directions.

There was cheery music playing in the elevator. Tom hummed along. Ricky and I both found it rather annoying, but neither of us commented. Rick felt too much in debt to Tom to complain.

When the elevator finally stopped, we were at the ambulance level.

"We just slip out the side door over there, and we're home free. Come on." Tom strode purposefully towards the exit.

"Safe," Ricky announced, shedding to coat. Amy tried to get out from under the cart, but fell sideways onto the ground.

"We ought to carry her," Tom observed. "She hasn't stood up for almost a month, it's to much for her to handle just yet." Rick nodded again and scooped his sister up.

"Let's get you home, Amy."

It took us a long time just to get back to Ricky's neighborhood, because we had to stay hidden. Ricky's arms began to ache after the first half-hour, but he gave Tom a Death Glare when the other boy offered to carry Amy for him. Amy herself was starting to fall asleep again.

Once we got to Ricky's house, he put his sister gently down on the couch. Everything was coated in a fine layer of dust. Behind us, Tom sneezed.

_Keritus' POV_

I met my friends at our usual spot—a grove where the family properties intersected. The other three were already there.

Kalsyfer, the eldest of the group, bowed his head slightly to me. That's his version of 'hello'. He didn't say much anymore—he'd been talkative when we were kids, but now… there's a darkness about him, years of pain hiding inside. I think it's because of his father. Alloran was infested when Kalsyfer was just a baby, so Kalsyfer gets tormented a lot by other Andalites.

(Hey … Keritus. What … kept … you?> Trakorlith asked.

Trakorlith is the youngest, but his scars make him look older than he is. He was born with no tail, one stalk-eye, and no ability to thought-speak. He used to get attacked a lot, until Kalsyfer came to his defense. Trakorlith has a computer fixed to his left arm—he types what he wants to say onto the keypad with his right hand, and then a speaker reads it out loud. He's actually more talkative than Kalsyfer now.

(What's the matter? You look upset.> My _shorm,_ Skenaihan, twitched her tail. She was a deceptively frail-looking female with a vicious temper. She would join the military in a second if they allowed female _arisths_.

(I had to discuss something with my father,> I said bluntly. One look at my friends' faces, and I knew that they wouldn't let me leave it at that. (It was about Ax.>

(As always,> said Skenaihan. (How are things going with him, anyway? Professionally, not your relationship.>

I glared. (Our 'relationship' became official earlier this afternoon and now my father has forbidden me to be around Ax at all.>

(He … can't … do … that. Ax … is … your … patient … and … it … is … illegal … to … prevent … a … doctor … from … seeing … their … patients.>

(I'm not legally a doctor yet, Trakorlith. As far as legalities go, Ax is Father's patient.>

(But … you've … been … responsible … for … his … treatment.>

(Not really. I've had to get my father's approval for everything.>

Trakorlith seemed irritated by my unwillingness to agree. He glared at me for a moment, then turned his back to me.

(Remind me again why Ax is basically being held prisoner,> requested Skenaihan.

(Supposedly, he's dangerous. He _will_ attack anyone who says he's related to Elfangor. Father's worried that 'Esp', whoever that is, warped Ax's mind. Ax claims that Esp is a Yeerk — that alone makes the War Council consider him a threat.>

(Being locked up is no way to recover. He may resort to _becoming_ an enemy, just to get out of that box.>

(Listen, Skenaihan, I agree with you, but what can we do about it?>

(Break him out,> offered Kalsyfer abruptly. (Get him out of his cage and back to Earth, track down 'Esp' and get the whole story of what happened on that planet. For all we know, Ax is right and Elfangor was a traitor.>

(How … would … we … get … a … ship?>

Kalsyfer looked equally upset and determined. (My father spent a great deal of time trying to design the ultimate ship. I have access to one of his prototypes.>

(Is it any good?> Skenaihan demanded.

(I don't know. The final creation got sucked into a black hole—as I said, this is just one of the prototypes.>

(I get the feeling that none of our parents would approve,> I protested, without any real conviction.

(And that matters, why?> my _shorm_ demanded.

(Mine … will … not … care.>

(Do you want to help Ax or not?> added Kalsyfer.

I glared fiercely at him. (Of course.>

Okay, so they were right. We couldn't just leave Ax in there. For now he seemed fine, if a bit restless, but the long-term damage of confinement might become irreversible.

He was actually asleep when the door opened. (Ax?> I whispered.

His eyelids decided that they didn't want to visit each other anymore, but would prefer to be as far apart as possible. (What are you doing here? Who are they?>

(These are the friends that I mentioned: Skenaihan, Trakorlith, and Kalsyfer. We're here to get you out.>

_Esp's POV_

"So what happened?" Jake asked. Tom and I had finally gotten back, and Jake was looking rather impatient.

"What do you mean?"

(Tom, you have a truly pathetic 'innocent face'.>

(Hey, I don't see _you_ helping.)

"You've been gone for five hours. It can't take that long to deliver Dad's lunch."

"Midget, it's Mom's job to lecture me for coming home late."

(And with the glare he's giving you, he doesn't give a –>

(Shut it!>

(What? I'm not allowed to talk to you anymore?>

_(This is not a good time, Esp!>_

"_Well?_" Jake crossed his arms and waited.

(He's going to find out soon enough, Tom. He might as well hear it from us…> "Can we go, um, elsewhere?"

Cold nod. Jake swept upstairs, into his room, and sat down at his computer, facing us. The glare never wavered.

"Amy's alive. We found her in the ICU. She was the kid Dad mentioned, the one in the coma."

Now, the glare vanished completely. Jake's jaw dropped. His eyes bugged out. I thought for a moment that he was going to collapse.

"How?" he asked.

"We've got no idea. We told Rick and helped him get her out of there."

Midget may have been in shock, but his brain was still functioning. What he said next was absolute proof of this. "Dad is going to kill you."

* * *

**Pronunciation guide:**

Skenaihan: Skuh-NAY-han

Trakorlith: Tra-KOR-lith

Kalsyfer: Kal-SI-fer

**A/N:**

Me: I am so, _so_, **so**, **_so_**,SO, _SO_, **SO**, **_SO SORRY_** that I haven't updated for so long.

Mob: AND NOW YOU WILL PAY!

Me: I apologize! I beg forgiveness! (Pulls out thesaurus.) You have my sincerest of regrets! My sorrow knows no boundary! There is no excuse, no justification, except for the sudden and unexpected attack upon me by the horror known as REAL LIFE!

Mob: GASP! THE HORROR!

Me: Besides, I think I've bitten off more than I can chew. I've got 10 plots going in this fic!

**Plots in this fic:**

Ax going cuckoo

Ricky angst (sort of sorted out, but not quite)

Amy's recovery (to come)

Ax/Keritus romance

Tobias' angst issues

Elfangor/Pete hatred

Noorlin and Forlay showing up (they still don't know Elfangor has a kid, or even that he's married)

Visser Three, a.k.a. Esi, getting suspicious of Esp

The 'Aria plot' (see book 23 – I may skip this one, seeing as Tobias already knows)

Ax being rescued

Keritus' friends, who will no doubt complicate things (especially Kalsyfer)

**Review Responses:**

RT FAN14: You flatter me. I like that. Sorry, but don't expect an update in the near future. However, once there is another chapter, there will probably be more Tobias in them. Very angsty, angry Tobias.

Anicrazy: I may be re-writing chapter eleven. I probably will.

Asmodeus1389: I like your idea, but I didn't name our anonymous doctor because he will probably never appear again.

Korean Pearl: I'm not really into dating, either. Truth be told, I find most guys annoying. I just give my characters love-lives to make up for the fact I don't have one. (Actually, look for an e-mail from me. I have an idea for this that I want to check with someone before I post it.)

SilverHawk 27: I agree.

Tiamath: Your language is pardoned, because I agree. BLEEP CRAYAK! Yeah, I figured I ought to work on the Jake-Tom-Esp brotherly relationship. I mean, the title can apply to more that one case of brotherly love, right?

Anifan 1: As I said to Tiamath, I figured I ought to work on the Jake-Tom-Esp brotherly relationship.

Beekiller-Johanna from Finland: Amy never died. Does "! Jippii.fi!" actually mean anything (no offence if it does), or were you just pounding random keys from joy? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten Ax.

Dragon: When I said 'Gee, thanks Mom!' in chapter eight, I WAS BEING SARCASTIC, referring to the fact that I had almost no computer time thanks to her. Having next to no computer time meant that if you wanted chapters in a timely fashion, there would be no review responses.

**EVERYONE: **This will likely be a very long story, most likely at least fifty chapters long. I'm trying to make the chapters longer. Said chapters will have a lot of time between them, so please don't beg for updates (unless I pull a Blue Dragon on you and don't update for three months.)


	14. This Is Turning Into A Bad Soap Opera

**A**/**N** (looks sheepish): Sorry this took so long.

Mob (growls): WHAT'S THE EXCUSE THIS TIME?

Me: My parents deciding that the summer break was the ideal time to drag the family all over the continent, without a computer. I've been restricted to my notebook.

**Warning: This chapter contains cursing.**

Disclaimer: After intense counseling, I have been forced to acknowledge The Truth: I don't own the Animorphs. I am now in therapy to cope with the trauma that comes with this knowledge.

* * *

**Chapter 14: This Is Turning Into A Bad Soap Opera**

_Esp's POV_

It was yet another day, and Tom and I were having yet another argument. (So, are you ever going to tell her?>

(No way, Esp. We've been over this.>

(I still think you're being stupid. Surely he won't hold it against you if –>

(Oh, he will. And so will she.>

(You never know for sure, Tom. Maybe she likes you, too.>

(Yeah. And maybe Esi's really a pacifist.>

(Hey! He could be … eventually …>

(Never mind. It's just a crush. There's no point ruining their relationship over it.>

(Oh, sage Tom, enlighten me with your wisdom and logic.>

(They're in love with each other. I have a crush on her. If I tell her, she'll tell him and he'll hate me. She might freak out and stop spending time around him, just to avoid me. I don't want to hurt either of them. If I _don't_ tell her, they'll grow up, get married, have kids, and be deliriously happy together. It's for the best.>

(You'll be miserable.>

(IT'S JUST A CRUSH, ESP! I'll get over it.>

There is no way to win an argument with Tom once he had latched on to his idea – even if he was wrong.

_Pete's POV_

"What?" I demanded. I was starting to get withdrawal headaches, and the goddamn doorbell really hadn't helped. What the hell was this puffed up suit doing on my doorstep? If he was expecting to be invited in, he was in for a major disappointment.

"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Jonathan DeGroot. I'm looking for Tobias Fangor, where might he be?"

I blinked a couple of times. DeGroot? That name sounded familiar …

"Tobias is with his aunt on the other coast," I lied. DeGroot shook his head.

"No, he isn't. We have already attempted to contact him there, and were told that he was living with you."

"Who is 'we'?"

"Myself and one of my clients." DeGroot was getting impatient. "Look, I represent your brother-in-law, Alan Fangor's, estate. Mr. Fangor's will has been found, and there is a letter that must be read to Tobias by his next birthday. One of Mr. Fangor's cousins, Aria, has petitioned for custody of Tobias–"

"Al doesn't have any cousins," I objected. "None that attended his wedding, at least."

"Aria is a wildlife photographer. She has been out of the country for years, mostly in Africa. She only just returned – can we continue this inside?"

"No, we can't." _If I have to be miserable, so do you._ "If I ever see Tobias' face again, I'll tell him you came by. Now get off my property." I shut the door in his face and went back to the living room. A large bird of prey was perched on the armrest of one of my chairs. "I assume you heard all that."

(Yeah.>

"You know," I said trying to sound conversational, "I never had a high opinion of your father, but hiring a lawyer and inventing a cousin? That's _low_."

(Damn right,> my nephew grunted. He was in a bad mood again. Whenever he was in a bad mood when he was younger, he'd always use short, blunt words. If no word short enough came to mind, he'd just grunt and the feeling would come out that way.

I was a lot smarter than Al gave me credit for – I knew there was no point in trying to get Tobias to talk when he was in one of his moods. Of course, knowing that my nephew could turn into God only knew what and pulverize me if I pressured him was great motivation for keeping my mouth shut.

I waited for a few minutes to see if Tobias would say anything. It was better to let him start the conversations when he was this moody. I'd picked that up by the time he was twelve. He'd get into this funk and not want to talk about anything, then suddenly things would just pour out.

Speaking of moody people, I hadn't seen Ricky since yesterday. Had he gone back to his place?

It had been twenty minutes. If Tobias wasn't up to talking yet, he wouldn't be until tomorrow at least. I stood up.

"I'm gonna track Al down, ask him what the hell he thinks he's doing."

Tobias grunted. It sounded affirmative – either he approved of my idea, or he was saying that he'd heard me. Either way, I left.

_Elfangor's POV_

Pete stormed into the forest, looking ready to kill. "ALAN!" he roared. "GET OUT HERE!"

I emerged warily from my hiding place. (What do you want?>

"I _want_ to know why your damn _lawyer_ just showed up at my house!"

(Lawyer?> I echoed. I'd had a lawyer while I was posing as a human, certainly, but I'd thought he was retired by this point in time. He'd been about thirty years older than my human morph. That would make him … about 70 years old by now.

"Don't pretend you don't know! You invented a cousin and–"

(What the hell are you talking about?>

"Both of you shut up!" Loren also looked ready to kill something. She always got like that when Pete and I started arguing. "You're both confused, any fool can see it, and yelling at each other won't sort things out! Now, Peter, you will calmly tell us why you are here, and Elfangor, you will _not_ interrupt him."

Pete stabbed an accusatory finger in my direction. "Some guy claiming to be Alan Fangor's lawyer showed up at my house looking for Tobias!"

Loren's face darkened. "And what did you do?"

"I said Tobias was with Gloria. He said no, they'd already checked there–"

(Who is 'they'?> I demanded.

"Elfangor…" Loren warned.

"'They' are your lawyer and your cousin," Pete spat.

(I don't have a cousin.>

"That's what I said."

_Cassie's POV_

Rachel was really upset over everything that was happening with Tobias. We all were, even if none of us knew for sure exactly what _was_ going on, but it hurt Rachel the most.

I've been told I'm a sensitive person. Not the wimpy, cries at the drop of a hat, 'if absolutely everything in my life isn't completely perfect, then the world will come to a fiery, horrible end' kind of sensitive, that's just dumb. I just know how people are feeling. I hated seeing Rachel upset, so being … well, sensitive … I had decided to cheer her up.

So I'd asked her to take me shopping.

I think that I've finally gone mad. Nothing but madness could have made me ask _Rachel_ to take me _shopping_.

Now I was stuck in one of the outfits she'd gotten for me. She'd spent the entire day pointing the new clothes out to _everyone_ we'd run into. And, since it was Monday, most of those people were guys who couldn't care less about me, they just wanted to hit on Rachel. I'd been called Crystal, Kendra, Cathy, Kristy, Carla, Cindy and Candy, in that order.

Not that I cared, but _still_, 'Cassie' isn't that hard a name to remember.

School was over, and I couldn't wait to get home and change back to my regular clothes. Rachel was walking with me.

_Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-trump._ We swirled around to see Tom/Esp right behind us, dribbling a basketball.

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly. "Has either of you seen my brother?"

"You can't find him?"

"We _do_ go to different schools, Rachel." He frowned and began circling me, still dribbling. _Tha-thump. Tha-thump_. "Rachel got you a new outfit," he said, after circling me a few times.

"About time someone noticed. Doesn't it look _great_?" Rachel gushed.

Tom continued to circle me. It was like being laser-scanned. The steady sound of the basketball hitting the pavement was starting to weird me out. _Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump._ "I like the colors. The way the top is designed, with those jeans, really brings out your figure," (I wanted to hide,) "especially the hips." (Now I _really _wanted to hide.) "It's fine that you didn't wear make-up, you've got great skin without bothering with those goops and powders." He paused in front of me and looked me up and down again. _Tha-thump. Tha-thump._ I felt like a mouse waiting for a hawk to swoop in for the kill. "This looks more like the kind of thing you'd wear if you and Jake were out on a date, or if you were planning on asking him out. Did you?"

"Did I what?" I asked. Trying to watch Tom as he circled me had made me dizzy. _Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump._

"Did you ask Jake out earlier today?"

"Uh … no."

"Since when do you have fashion sense?" Rachel demanded.

_Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump_. "Rachel, Rachel, Rachel. You're not the only one in the family who can tell what matches and what clashes." Tom laughed and held up his hands in mock-surrender. The basketball went rolling into somebody's yard. "Kidding. I don't have an ounce of fashion sense … or common sense … or any other kind of sense for that matter. I'm a teenage male, I know what looks good on girls."

_Skenaihan's POV_

Sneaking into a military docking bay requires luck, finesse, and absolute, utter silence. That said, Kalsyfer's familiarity with the space docks made it a lot easier than it could have been.

(Just a little further,) he whispered. (We're almost – _hide_!>

(What is it?> my _shorm _asked, as we ducked into a small alcove.

(The door is guarded. We can't get to the ship.>

(Oh, really?> I asked. I had found a Shredder secured to one of the walls. No alarms went off as I removed it, but my friends and Ax eyed it warily. Twisting the setting so that it stunned but didn't kill, I took careful aim at the two Andalites guarding the door.

TSEEEW! TSEEEW! Two direct hits!

Kalsyfer glared at me. (That was a stupid risk. If you'd missed–>

(But she didn't,> Ax pointed out.

Kalsyfer hesitated, but Keritus was also on my side and Trakorlith had no opinion – none that he would express, at least. (Alright, fine. But we need to avoid attracting any more attention. If we're caught…>

We opened the door manually to minimize the noise. Before us was an amazing ship. It was streamlined. It was bristling with weapons. It was the kind of ship no pilot could resist flying.

It was also covered in dust, but if Kalsyfer was to be believed, no one had come in here for years. It couldn't be helped.

(Wow,> Ax murmured. (That is so _cool_.>

(The inside is better,> Kalsyfer grunted. (And we had better get inside. It's only a matter of time before those guards are found.>

(Thank you, Mr. Optimism.>

Kalsyfer gave Ax a funny look. (What was that supposed to mean?>

(It is a type of human humor, called 'sarcasm.' A person makes a statement that they do not truly believe is correct.>

(If they do not believe it is correct, why do they make the statement?>

This could take a while if nobody interrupted. (We don't have time for this. Let's just get on the ship. You two can argue about humor in Z-space.>

* * *

**Author's Note**: This was supposed to be longer, but I felt like I should post something to prove that I had not abandoned this story. If you're wondering who Esp and Tom are talking about in the first bit, that's okay. It's not hard to figure out, more of a teaser than anything, based on something I randomly typed in Time Travel Trouble (chapter 9). If you've figured it out, good for you. Try not to spoil it for anyone else! I seem to have added another plot. (growls with impotent rage.)

**Review Responses:**

Anifan1: Sorry about that. I'm writing it, so of course it seemed obvious to me! You can go re-read it if you like, I fixed it.

anonymous guy: I invented Ricky, so I will say if he is in or out of character. The guy's dealt with a lot of angst, he's not emotionally stable, and Eftlak's the only one who knows how messed up he is. His little sister just practically came back from the dead, so why shouldn't he be happy?

Tiamath: I am not so easily intimidated.

rockergurl13: WELCOME TO THE MOB!

Anicrazy: Was your computer stuck on Caps Lock, or were you just _really_ happy?


	15. Stuff of Legends

A/N: Wow. I think I've officially pulled a Blue Dragon. How long has it been since I updated?

Not much Ax in this chapter, it's mostly Tobias' show this time. WARNING: This chapter is crud, I sort of lost control of it.

Disclaimer: Animorphs are not mine. If they were, the series wouldn't have ENDED with a CLIFFHANGER! It's been five years and I'm still pissed off about it!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Stuff of Legends**

_**Ax's POV** _

(So this is Z-Space,) murmured Skenaihan, gazing out the window at the white emptiness. (I never realized it would be so … boring.)

(Get used to it,) advised Kalsyfer from the helm. (We'll be here for a couple of months at least.)

I doubt I was the only one to suppress a groan. The ship was nice enough, but that could get boring fast. Perhaps I should use this time to get to know Keritus' friends.

Kalsyfer gave me a dark look; this was not a person I wanted as an enemy, but he didn't seem to like me very much.

Perhaps I would be wiser to keep my distance.

(Ax, are you okay?) Keritus asked me.

(Fine. But I don't think your friend likes me very much.)

(Who, Kalsyfer? Don't worry about him, he's like that with everyone. I'm sure he'll soften up once he gets used to you, just give him time.)

I sighed. Time was something I would certainly have a great deal of.

**_Tobias' POV_**

"Why am I doing this?"

"Because I looked into it. Weird as it is, your dad isn't actually behind it. It was all arranged before he met you properly."

Tom/Esp were dragging me to a lawyer's office, and I mean that literally. "Esi found the document and turned it into a trap. Convince them you think it's bogus, and you should be fine." He pushed me to the door.

"Bogus. Got it."

The lawyer was waiting for me. "Tobias? Excellent! This is your cousin, Aria."

I snorted. "Let's get on with this. Do I get any money?"

DeGroot's eyebrows shot up. "No."

"Figures," I grunted. I hoped I wasn't overdoing it. I figured this was how Ricky would handle this kind of situation.

DeGroot glanced at Aria – Visser Three in morph – who nodded. He led us to his office and removed a document from his desk.

"Dear Tobias. I am your father. You never knew me, and I never knew you. I do not know what your life has been over these many years. I hope that your mother found someone else to love. I know that all memory of me has been erased from her mind. All evidence of my time on Earth has been erased."

I raised an eyebrow. "Nutcase," I muttered.

"I am being given this opportunity to communicate with you by the very creature who has erased my time on earth. He has called me back to my duty, and I cannot fail.

"This will all seem very strange to you, my unknown, unseen, unmet son. But I am not one of your people. I have taken on the form of a human, but I am not human."

I snorted at that. I was getting into the act; I prayed I wasn't taking it too far.

"I was in a terrible war. I did terrible things. I had to, I suppose. But I grew tired of war, so I ran away. I went and hid among the people of Earth – among humans. While living on Earth, and living as a human, I took the name Alan Fangor.

"I took the name Alan Fangor. But my true name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul."

Aria was breathing down my neck. DeGroot had paused.

"Is that it?" I asked. DeGroot looked startled, but started reading again.

"But my true name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul," he repeated, as Aria watched me the way I would a rabbit. "And though you will never know me and we will never meet, I wanted to make sure that you knew my disappearance from your life was not by my choice. I wanted nothing more than to live out my life, loving your mother and loving you as well.

"But I was part of something larger than myself. There was a great evil I had to fight. There were lives I had to try and save, including yours and your mother's. I am from a race called Andalites. Duty is very important to us, as it is to many, many humans. I cannot say that I love you, my son, because I do not know you, but know that I wanted to love you. Know that, at least.

"It's signed Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Prince."

I rolled my eyes. "Aunt Gloria wasn't kidding when she said my parents were nuts."

DeGroot looked at Aria for instruction. "Take him," she ordered. "Just to be safe."

Hork-Bajir piled into the room as the Visser demorphed. I ran for the door, but one of them blocked me.

I was seized, tied up, and dragged into a back room. There was a portable Yeerk pool back there.

Demorph! I screamed at myself, but I couldn't focus. Demorph! You have to demorph! 

Too late! Something was crawling into my ear. I felt intense pain for a few seconds, before the nerve endings went dead.

(Keep quiet,) a strange voice whispered to me. (I'll get you out of here.)

"He doesn't know anything," said my voice disappointedly. "He believes in aliens–"

(Get out of my head, you filthy slug!) I screamed helplessly.

"– but that's about it. He might have potential in recruiting new members for The Sharing." (Either call me something creative or shut up,) the Yeerk snapped. (My name is Aftran.) The Yeerk … Aftran … rummaged through my memories. (So Esp _is_ a traitor. That's very … interesting. By the Kandrona!) it gasped suddenly.

Visser Three quivered with rage at my supposed uselessness. (Get out of my sight,) he spat. I probably should have been fearing for my life just then, but I was a bit preoccupied with the fact _there was a Yeerk in my head_. Tom assured me later that this was completely normal.

Apparently Aftran didn't move me out of the Visser's sight fast enough, because he suddenly decided to introduce his tail-blade to my head. Something dripped into my mouth from where I'd bitten my lip. My tongue was drenched in the bitter, salty liquid – my blood.

The flow stopped as the blood drained out of my face. I felt an arctic chill and began to shake uncontrollably. Waves of rage broke over me and suddenly I was drowning in them.

(What's going on?) the Yeerk asked. (Is this normal for humans?) I couldn't answer. One word had taken over my brain more thoroughly than the Yeerk had taken my body.

KILL! KILL! KILL!

I was never sure what happened next. The waves of rage swept me away into a sea of chaos, and I didn't have the strength to even try to understand.

**_Estril's POV_**

This was problematic. My sister was attempting to slaughter the entire elite guard. What the hell was going on? I'd thought Aftran wanted a human host so she wouldn't have to fight.

The human moved so quickly I could barely see him. In a matter of seconds, most people in the room were dead. Then time … stopped.

Everything seemed to freeze. I saw the Visser, half-morphed. I saw Aftran's new host, high on adrenaline. I saw Esp, about to charge into the fray. And I saw the only way to get out of this alive.

I fired at my sister, just as a burst of pain erupted in the back of my host's skull. When I woke up, Esp was bending over me.

"You okay, man? You took a pretty nasty hit."

"I've been worse. Where are we?"

"Um … actually, we're in the resistance hideout. I knew we couldn't hold Aftran here unless we dragged you along, but … the others haven't taken it so well."

"Others?"

Esp nodded to something I couldn't see. I twisted round to see … three Andalites, six humans, a Taxxon, and several caged Earth creatures. One of the Andalites was arguing with one of the humans – a tall male with strong resemblance to Esp's host.

(Why would the Visser want Tobias infested?)

"Lots of reasons. He might think you somehow gave Tobias information that could expose the invasion, or he might suspect that you're still alive and plan to use your son as bait to draw you into a trap. If nothing else, Tobias is human, and the Visser's in charge of getting all humans infested."

"It doesn't matter _why_ the Visser wanted Tobias infested!" one of the yellow-haired females exploded. "What matters is that if Tobias _is_ infested, the Yeerk in his head could expose all of us. It won't matter what they _suspect_, because they'll _know_."

"He is infested," I said, joining the conversation. "I watched it happen. But Aftran's no threat to you." The humans rounded on me. 

"How do we know that?" the other blonde female asked.

"Aftran hates fighting," Esp whispered suddenly. He shook himself a little. "This is going to be awkward."

"How badly is he hurt?" the human with dark skin asked. The rest of the group suddenly looked guilty.

"He's got a cut on his lip and minimal damage to his eardrum – the eardrum thing isn't permanent, it'll be reversed as soon as Aftran leaves his head," said Esp. "Around the seventeenth infestation the damage stops happening at all, assuming she always uses the same ear."

"_She_?" One of the blonde humans demanded.

"Aftran's last host was female. I'm used to thinking of her as a girl."

The body on the table moaned, and the blonde humans leaned in close.

"Tobias, are you okay?"

"Aftran, actually. Tobias is still unconscious."

I stood up, pushed past the humans, and grabbed my sibling's host roughly. "What happened back there? You killed – "

"Tobias is a berserker."

"A what?"

"It's a Norse legend. A berserker is a human driven into a killing frenzy by the taste of blood. They're the ultimate warriors, only another berserker could beat them in a fight."

"But that doesn't add up," Esp interrupted. "Estril brought him down in one shot."

"Well, these legends were created before humans encountered Dracon beams. That could be why he's still out of it – once the frenzy wears off, berserkers are exhausted for a few days."

"How do you know this stuff?" asked the human who looked like a slightly smaller version of Esp's host body. Wow, I _had_ to learn their names.

"Your friend has a passion for human folklore. He's very well-versed in many of your legends."

"Doesn't 'legend' mean it isn't real?" the small male human with dark hair said skeptically. Oh, yes, I definitely needed to learn their names.

"No; myths are not real. Legends are stories based in fact which have become exaggerated," Esp explained.

Aftran made a human smile in Esp's direction. "I _could_ say it better myself, but it would be redundant." Suddenly, Tobias' face twisted into a horrified expression. "How many did I kill?" Aftran whispered.

"Six or seven Hork-Bajir, a dozen or so Taxxons, and three humans. You almost killed the visser, but he morphed … something."

Aftran curled into a ball. "I went on a killing spree and I didn't _at least_ take down the visser?"

"He's hard to kill," said Esp fairly. "I know. I've seen the morphs he's got – and even before then, he's always had stronger self-preservation instincts than most."

"More than you, you mean," I pointed out. "Not that that's saying much, seeing as you don't have any self-preservation instincts at all. Now would someone mind explaining to me who the hell you people are?"

And that's how I was drafted into the Yeerk Peace Movement.

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A/N: Yes, I know it's horrible.

Mob: DIE! THIS SUCKS! DIE! DIE! DIE!

Me: Please don't kill me!


	16. Brief Detour to Tobias' Mind

Disclaimer: Animorphs are not mine. I do not deserve them.

_Tobias' POV_

I was thoroughly disoriented. I saw flashes of color and heard random sounds, but none of it seemed to fit together. Where was I? What had happened? Even my memories seemed garbled. Somehow I _did_ know that this confusion was temporary, but I had no idea how long it would last … or how much time was passing.

Occasionally something would jump out at me from either my memories or what I guess were my surroundings. A Hork-Bajir face would occasionally loom close to mine, anxious, though how I recognized the expression was lost in the tangled mess that was my mind. A blue blur would occasionally solidify into a hand or a tail. I couldn't recognize any details of the pink and brown blurs by sight alone, but their voices seemed the most logical.

" – sure it's too dangerous to – ?"

" – tried, he might – "

"We – half-conscious or what – "

I wasn't sure what to do. Should I retreat into unconsciousness? I could sense oblivion on the edge of my mind, offering peace and rest. Or should I fight to figure out what was happening? To sort out my head and help, if these were my allies, or escape, if I was some kind of prisoner.

Well, there was a start, I knew there had been some kind of conflict. I was either with the Animorphs or the Yeerks. But if it was my friends, I was safe, so I didn't need to wake up … and if it was the Yeerks, I'd be tortured for information, so it was for the best if I didn't reveal I was aware of anything.

I embraced the oblivion and felt my body collapse. I would wake up several days later, much more coherent, in a cage at the Wildlife Rehab Clinic.

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Yes, I know this is obscenely short. It took me half an hour just to get this much - my creative juices are really not flowing with Animorphs right now. This is mostly to prove the story IS NOT and WILL NOT BE abandoned. And now the Mob has something to say to you all.

Mob: WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY! WE GOT FRUSTRATED AND EVEN MORE ENRAGED THAN USUAL, SO WE KILLED MERSANG, THEN HAD TO LEARN NECROMANCY TO BRING HER BACK AND CONTINUE THE STORY!


	17. Now What, Genius?

Another short chapter. I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing Animorphs, but it's slow going. **Voting time**: should I update a little more often with shorter chapters, or really infrequently with longer chapters?

Mob: FREQUENT LONG CHAPTERS!

Sorry, that's not one of the options available at this time.

Also, if anyone wants to offer ideas, I can't guarantee that I'll use them, but they might make it in as chapter padding.

Disclaimer: Due to anti-slavery laws, I technically cannot own people. Therefore, I am merely the self-appointed guardian of all original characters used in this story. Kidnap them at your peril.

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Rachel's POV

I just about had a heart attack when Tobias collapsed after demorphing. Cassie picked him up and checked his vital signs, being the only person there who knew how to do that for a hawk.

"He's okay," she confirmed, "just asleep as far as I can tell. I'm going to put him in a cage anyway. Maybe Dad knows something that can help."

"Doubtful," Tom/Esp announced. He'd opened up his laptop and started pulling up everything he could find about berserkers the second the word had come up. "So far the only way I've found for a berserker to recover is just to sleep it off."

"But once he's had some sleep he'll be fine?" I asked.

"Near as I can tell. But bear in mind, these records are sketchy at best. Nothing I've read so far actually suggests berserkers are real; just that they're myths, or exaggerations, that the Norse used to intimidate their enemies. Or mentally deranged to begin with." He frowned and added, to the Hork-Bajir Controller called Estril, "We should worry about Aftran."

[Why?] asked Elfangor suspiciously.

"A Yeerk often ends up absorbing and reflecting some measure of their host's mental-emotional state. If the host is crazy, the Yeerk will go crazy. And possibly pass it on to subsequent hosts. That's why we don't like infesting Taxxons. And with all the mental diseases humans have, I'm not so sure this species is a smart conquest either," he concluded in a mutter.

"Has anyone raised that point with the Council?" Estril asked him.

"Not that I know of. Really, it's the Vissers you'd have to convince, so I don't think anybody's tried."

[What are you two rambling about?]

"It's not _rambling_, it's a discussion of Empire politics. Just because you can't follow it doesn't make it nonsense. Don't you think we should be focusing on – I am fully capable of multitasking! See?" He typed something decisively. "Multitasking."

"To report anything to the Council of Thirteen, the message must first be cleared by the Visser in charge of the sector – unless the report indicts the Visser of criminal activity, in which case a subvisser is allowed to clear the message," Estril explained. "Whether humans are Class Four or Class Five would have to be inquired by a Visser, unless we decide to use it to accuse Visser One of dangerous irresponsibility in starting the invasion. Visser Three may be the actual leader of the Empire's forces on Earth, but Visser One is still technically in charge. Although if we do accuse Visser One, Visser Three might be willing to contact the Council."

"He lost me." Marco turned to Tom/Esp as though one of them had the answer.

"We can't talk to the Council of Thirteen unless we go through the Vissers. They won't let us do that unless we play politics." He shook his head a little and typed again. "The Class Four-Class Five thing is something Yeerks have been debating about humans for years." He shook his head again, this time with an expression of disgust, and started shutting down the computer with a sigh.

"We have a system that categorizes species by their appeal as host bodies. Class One is physically unfit for infestation, like the Hawjabran – they're a species whose brain is spread out in little nodes throughout their bodies. No centralized brain, nowhere for the Yeerk to latch onto. The Skrit Na are Class One as well, but only because of their need to phase. Personally I think they're more like a Class Two, which can be infested but have some big physical drawback, like a Taxxon's hunger or a Gedd's natural clumsiness. The next step up is Class Three. Good bodies that we can infest, but not many of them and slow breeding." He nodded to Estril – more specifically, to Estril's Hork-Bajir host.

"And then we have Class Four – excellent potential hosts, but the species as a whole is too dangerous to go up against." This nod was wry and directed at Elfangor. "Before we discovered humans, there was a lot of skepticism over whether Class Five aliens – good hosts in large numbers without the power to resist invasion – even existed. And like I said, there are Yeerks who think humans ought to be Class Four – usually the ones with troublesome human hosts, or the ones who pay close attention to your species' history."

"Our history?" Jake echoed.

"Do you realize how many wars humans have fought? The sheer bizarreness of some of your strategies? The self-contradictory nature your species displays? You run into the bullets, leaving your comrades to die where they drop to get close enough to kill your enemies, then risk your lives to save complete strangers. It's mind-boggling." His tone changed to an almost apologetic one. "We were discussing World War Two in history class last week and it's been stuck in Esp's mind. I think my teacher convinced him all humans are insane."

"You should probably all go," Cassie warned us. It was starting to get dark in the barn. "I told my dad I'd handle evening meds this week, but he might come out to check on the animals anyway."

"Estril?" The Hork-Bajir Controller twitched in response to his name. "I don't think anyone saw us bring you here, but, um … you may have been listed in the dead count. I mean, Taxxons don't leave much to be identified. Where are we going to put you?"

"We could try the free Hork-Bajir colony," Jake suggested.

"Yeah, they'd be thrilled to have a Yeerk hiding out there," Marco agreed.


End file.
